No More than Black and White
by Toxophobia
Summary: a continuation on the first fan fic i wrote: equal and opposite. The voice of snoke no longer softly echoing in his head. Luke reached out with his other hand and lightly touched his cheek as well, his robotic hand skimming across his high cheekbones. And standing there between the two, touching both of their faces. He was pulled into a vision."
1. Chapter 1

Author note: After watching episode 8 i've decided to revisit this story. To add to it, and have some fun with it again. And whoa guys, my first story broke 30k views thanks everyone. remember to follow and review.

()

Luke sat there watching them, everyday for hours, the first day he slept in the visitor chair set up in the corner. Both of the force users in front of him being connected to machines beeping. They were so surprised originally about Rey being driven through, they hadn;t even noticed Kylo had been ran through as well, with their connection they mirrored the others injuries. Creating not two but four run throughs between the two of them. Luke had been here for three days straight the first day. Once Rey and Kylo were through the woods in a sense they wouldn't instantly die; the medical staff wanted to move them to separate rooms. But the second that they started to move Rey to another room both their vitals went haywire. Their heart rates jumping and dropping, their blood pressure spiking. They thought it was because of the movement; but it wasn't. It was the connection.

Luke finally had to explain to the doctors about the unusual connection between the two had only kept growing since they arrived. It use to be extreme amounts of injuries mirrored on the other. But now, you couldn't even tickle Rey's foot, a test to make sure the nerve connection was still there, would have Kylos foot twitching along with hers. Not any kind of physical stimulation the other felt. And although this was a very interesting case of medical and force based situation, they have yet to wake up now.

After the first week the doctors stopped letting luke sleep there. They told him he was going to kill himself from stress alone. And set him up on a strict visiting hours. A couple of days ago Luke arrived early, he caught the doctors and nurses whispering, he couldn't hear what, but the second they saw him, they scattered. He went and sat with the two again. Listening to their heart separate heart machines beating, which was pointless, sense they beeped in time. Like the same heart projected onto two separate screens. Something was wrong, Luke could feel it through the force everytime the doctors would come around. The nurses were less obvious about hiding it on their faces.

Today Luke would confront the head doctor as he was leaving the check up on the two of them, they have been out for close to two months now. Luke was starting to worry and if what they were hiding was about them he had every right to know. His boots were clicking across the white tiled floor. As he paced in front of their door, the doctor and two nurses were inside. Testing the physical body responses to tickle stimulation; feet, hands, neck, areas of the face. Their bodies had both long healed, but the lightsaber burn that came from Rey's lightsaber had cut dangerously close to their spines, an upward angle which seemed to pass above the stomach, between the lungs, and nicked the spine. Kylo's lightsaber had hit more true on Rey; a downward angle that passed almost straight through the stomach and nicked the spine on the other side. For doctors other than these, that burn would of killed them.

The normal kind of injury to the stomach resulted in slow painful deaths due to blood and stomach acid mixing on the inside of the body, causing more damage, it was hard to repair those organs when they received damage. A lightsaber wound was better and worse at the same time. A lightsaber cut and burned shut wounds almost as soon as they occurred. The doctors would have to cut away the burned flesh to repair the damage. The surgery had gone off without a problem, they should be okay, so why aren't they waking up. Lukes hair had gone almost completely grey, hair beard and hair now trimmed up nicely. He was wearing new jedi robes in a soft beige color that the jedi originally wore.

The door clicked open and he stopped pacing, the two nurses left early and quickly and the doctor came out after. His eyes meeting Lukes and knowing what was coming. He jesutered him down the hall to his office and they walked in silence. Luke trailing farther behind him down the hall. He made it to the office and dropped into the chair on the opposite side from the doctor. Who looked nervous but concerned, despite Luke's new hair cut he started to look worse as the weeks ran on. He took a breath and started to speak.

"There's something we need to tell you, it's not related to them not waking up. Which we've already mentioned that if they don't want to wake up. They won't." luke looked at him with defeat in his eyes, he was hoping that wasn't the truth when they told him the first time, but as time ran on. He didn't know what to do.

"But that's not why we're been acting oddly around you as you've noticed." he stacked some papers and straightened his desk. Steeling himself for what he's about to say. Luke sat up a little straighter and leaned forward.

"When General Leia was alive, she had ordered no DNA testing on young Rey, worried about what the results would tell you Luke. when after she died and you brought the two in, telling us they were cousins and she was your child. We had to do dna testing for blood transfusions. And well Leia was right. Not only does Rey not match your DNA, but she is also about a year or two years younger than Ben here. But the test the old jedi use to use to test the strength of the force. We have had years to play with the test, changing it not only to show strength of the connection to the force, but where the force connection might come from. Everyone we've tested besides leia were weak with the force, but similar in the connection they had to each other. Leia was a different ball park. Her connection was allowing her to touch others while not allowing theirs to touch hers." he took a breath, the doctors face getting a little red as he continued, Lukes face never changed from his dark sad expression, even after finding out about the dna.

"Now what we've decided that jedi and strong with the force users are able to manipulate other force connections, while they have a hard time being manipulated by other users. And because of that their force in their blood, they're very distinct, no one else matches their connection. But Rey and Ben out there? Their not just similar. Their the same. Whatever marker they share, is the exact same to each other. You and Leia were similar, for being siblings. Its kinda like blood, with dna markers. But they're a perfect match for each other. Whatever power gives the force, it created them to match."

Luke got up and left without a word. The door shut heavily behind him and echoed loudly. He walked right to their room and walked inside, he silenced his mind, his emotions, in the traditional jedi way. And stood in the middle of the room on either side of the two unconscious force users. He stood there, reached out and touched Rey's cheek, moving the hair away from her face, she should look peaceful, but her eyebrows were scrunched up together, her mouth frowning. He looked over at Ben, he looked peaceful, for the first time in his life, he had no pain on his face. The scar stood out harshly and starkly compared to the rest of his pale skin, his black hair poofing out at odd angles on his pillow. The voice of snoke no longer softly echoing in his head. Luke reached out with his other hand and lightly touched his cheek as well, his robotic hand skimming across his high cheekbones.

And standing there between the two, touching both of their faces. He was pulled into a vision.

In a empty white expanse, the ground, and lower horizon of the sky were white. The upper sky, changed, the sun shown, the sun set, the moon rose and the stars shined. In the middle of this light solar light show. The two of them stood there, Rey and Ben clashing with light sabers drawn. Both had perfect mirrored form, they're lightsabers the same color, Rey wore black and Ben wore beige jedi clothes. They were screaming, clashing, fighting, the light flashed, and they were standing, dancing. Hand in hand, twirling to music that wasn't there. Flashing again back to the fighting, he understood. He wasn't in a vision. He was in their minds.

He started forward, rushing to them but the distance never closed, but Rey glanced over for just a second. The world shattered and he was just standing in the room again. Rey and Ben's heart rate monitors were beating out of tune, for the first time they were brought in. both their heart rates spiking, beating so fast. Doctors and nurses came rushing in, a large nurse grabbed Luke and dragged him away from them. The machines screeching even in the hallway. What had just happened, he wasn't sure.

He sat on the floor for a moment, against the wall, all the sound in his mind and the hallway being the stretching of the machines in their medical room. If his touch and breaking them from their fight is what kills them, he wouldn't be able to live with himself again. More nurses and doctors came rushing so he got up, he wouldn't be around to trip them or listen to the heart monitors stop. They'd have to come find him to tell him. So he went to meditate under this new information, that Rey wasn't his daughter, that she the pull she felt with everyone is because she's Ben's force twin. Not blood twin.

The original jedi books never mentioned a solely force twin before. The ones that came close were often blood twins, or blood siblings. Rey had to come from somewhere, as luke was walking to the place he liked to meditate at this rebel base was deep within the planet. The caves underneath had glowing plants and dripping glowing slime. The water that flowed around the caves were a peaceful place, that Luke often came to meditate with. To breathe, think, or even feel. Whenever he felt overwhelming and crushing grief he would come here. He had lost his sister, and han and often needed to escape the rebels who expected so much out of him, and now he lost his connection to his daughter. Was his birth daughter out there somewhere? Live a normal life, the woman who was Rey's mother, his former love, had brought Rey to him as a toddler, said that her place was with him and her family. Had she lied and kept her real daughter?

How did she find someone who was such a match for their family, their strength, how had she managed to keep another force sensitive child from when he went looking for younglings to teach? Was… his daughter even alive?

The trip down to the cave was a blur, his heart hurting, his breathing labored, he snuke down through the base to a storage room that had a door that lead to the cave system. It was locked and boarded up when he first found it a week after they first arrived, after he had gotten kicked out of their medical room. On some planets the force was strong in the sky, making jedi crave to get to the highest place, to meditate and think of nothing but the force. Luke always considered himself a bad jedi, because he was always close to the force he wanted to feel. He thought he was like his father in that sense. Anakin had always been emotional, it was part of the reason why the jedi hadn't wanted to train his father. Jedi thought emotions were dangerous, that they clouded your judgement and lead people to the darkside.

Anakin, and Luke always thought that emotions if handled wrongly could lead to the darkside, that but Anakin handled his emotions wrong; which pushed him to the darkside because of the fear. Fear of unknown, fear of losing people he loved. Luke had kept up a way of the jedi, the lack of belongings, to live similar to a monk where all they owned could be carried on their back. Children who tended to be strong with the force hadn't felt much of a need for belongings or money, even when they were enslaved or poor. Rey had shown that tendency, her belongings could fit into a backpack. Clothes, a toy she kept with her on jakku.

Leia was similar as well, despite being a princess and being given anything and everything she could of wished for, she didn't have much more than what was required of her to have. And when she became general, she didn't keep much of her princess things, though Luke was sure she had her crown hidden away in her belongings. The thought suddenly hitting Luke that her belongings were still just hanging around, probably placed in the room meant for the general on this base. He walked his way down the small wooden bridge that connected natural walkways. The plants on the walls and in the water glowed shades of blues and greens. The random flower glowed a bright purple. Bugs that glowed flew around in shades of yellows and oranges.

Crystals grew in small clusters that glowed as well, the walls dripped slime that glowed a white color. On the second trip down here Luke had brought empty glass jars to collect the slime. The amount of stuff that was glowing still wasn't enough to light the way, so he collected jars of the white glow and put it on the edges of the paths. Rebels from before must of ventured down here to create an escape route, but once they found out it totally dead ended, they cut their losses and sealed the door leading here. The first day down here Luke had taken a nasty fall into the water because the edge wasn't as well lighted as the rest of this place had been.

He had made it to the cavern that in the very center had a natural outcrop of rock that made almost the perfect seat. He sat down and started to mediate, hoping to get the emotions he was feeling under control. To remember to breathe, that the force hadn't let them die when they had been skewered then the force wouldn't let them die now. Unless the force had wanted to keep them in that dance forever. Maybe that was the vision Rey had yelled about shortly before they both fell. Rey wasn't his blood daughter, he felt this hole in his chest, ached and burned. But the force still sang like she was family. Maybe once they were both awake, he'd start hsi search for more force users, to start a school again. Maybe not as a jedi academy but as a school for those to learn how to control their power, and how to help others.

He breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth. And let the calm of the water underneath him wash over his soul.


	2. Chapter 2

Rey's head pounded, her lungs burned, but she couldn't keep her eyes open, they fluttered shut again. She moved weakly, her joints screamed, she felt awful, and she slipped back into sleep. Once again she stood at the center of the circle, the hole going into the ground, the hole was white, it glowed semi brightly, the ground under her feet were black; across from her on the opposite side stood Ben. his hair was curling slightly, blowing in some invisible wind she couldn't feel. His eyes down casted, a frown on his face. The scar shone brightly, red against white skin with a splash of black background from his hair. He wore black jedi clothes. Similar in style to her grey desert clothes, the tunic hung down around his knee, the wind blowing it ever so slightly. The pants were tucked into black boots, polished so finely the light from the ground reflected back.

The white light pulsed, getting warmer and warmer to stand around, rey held her hand up in front of her eyes to block the light, Ben was doing the same on the opposite side, he was looking at her now. Yelling to get her attention, but all the noise she heard was a ringing noise in her ears. He started trying to run around the side of the hole, it was round, he should be able to get to her. But the faster he ran, the farther his long legs took him; he never moved from where he was. He reached out to her, yelling, screaming, she reached out as well; her hand making contact with something soft but she couldn't see anything. The ringing becoming louder and louder until she was sure it'd drive her crazy. She looked down, suddenly she was wearing a white gown instead of her grey desert robes. Then they faded back in again, her shoes being swallowed by the white light, it hurt. She opened her mouth to scream but no noise came out.

Then the white light blurred everything, a man stood over her, with a bright light shining in her eyes, she closed her eyes again. The ringing was no longer overpowering her ears, she heard a muted beeping noise from a machine behind her. She was coming back into the real world. How long she'd been out she wasn't sure. She turned her head slightly, looking to her left, her hand is reached out loosely holding onto Ben's hand, which is also reached out towards her. His fingers had scars and small burns on them, they were rough and smooth in places, she turned her head back towards the doctors. He was talking to her, asking her if she knew where she was, who she was. Her response was a weak squeak coming out from a dry mouth. She glanced around the room, bright white lights, bright white walls and floor. Everything was white, her head pounding as she rolled her body, trying to get up. Hoping to get up, the doctor softly pushed her back down.

His words coming in and out of her focus loosely. "You'll be dizzy" she heard, "been awhile." he continued speaking, she ignored him as he turned towards Ben, talking to her, but she didn't listen anymore. She swung her legs out of the bed, her feet touching the white floor, cold under her feet, she pulled her toes back up from the ground, and then placed them heavily on it. She stood, wobbling a little, she put her hand on the machine next to her to steady herself. The ground spinning, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to tell what was the ground, walls or ceiling with all this white around her. She almost knocked the doctor over when she stumbled the small distance between her and Ben's bed. It took three small steps, but her feet were dragging, her feet weak and buzzing. Like they had been asleep too long and she had captured the sound bad electronic connections had and shoved that feeling into her legs.

The doctor let out a small surprised chirping noise, when she slumped onto the lower half of the bed Ben was sleeping in. He was starting to come out of whatever they've been in, whether it was something done to them on purpose or not would be the determining factor. One of the nurses were arguing with another doctor, telling him that they should keep the two of them apart. Rey ignored them and sat on the edge of the bed, slowly pulling her legs up onto the bed, she was small so she'd stay right at the end. It wouldn't be the first time she's slept at his feet, probably wouldn't be the last knowing the amount of their injuries. She could hear his grumbling first, the way the doctors breath hitched when he started to wake.

Ben looked innocent enough when he was sleeping, but awake, they'd seen what he's been capable of. Once she was settled and sure enough the doctors weren't going to drag her off his bed, she allowed herself to breath and feel. She felt empty. Her whole insides feel raw and weak, like she'd just spent over a week back on jakku without much water, her lips cracked and dry. Her insides feeling cracked and dry. When she moved her arm to reach up and grab Ben's hand, her ribs pulled, the skin on 2 places on her chest and stomach burned and pinched. She choked back a gasp as she let her arm drop again. Rey looked up in time to see Ben wake up with a jolt. All the nurses and doctors around them jumped back, staring as he sat up, his hand flying to his head, probably pounding like hers. Besides the machines beeping all the noise stopped, everyone too afraid of him to move, to check on him. The sheets fell away from his torso, to show 2 red circles on his upper body. One near the middle of his stomach area, slightly above and to the left of his belly button, and the other one further up and to the left, right under his ribs. Those scars fresh and barely healed, stood out compared to all the other scars he had. His new ones seemed to be in the same places Rey's burned.

Ben groaned. He held his head in his hand, the other gripping the sheets tightly as he tried to figure out where he was. Although with the doctors fearing him, they worked in mostly silence, out of his direct line of sight. Ben looked up and his eyes met with Rey's, he looked disheveled and she felt like it as well. Suddenly aware her hair is sticking up in every direction, she probably had dark circles under her eyes, and her skin was probably washed out and sickly looking from not being outside in however long its been since they both almost died. But he didn't seem to care, he let go of his head, reached towards her, ignoring the burning they both felt on their new wounds. He had to lean forward, not too far with his arms fully extended since he was so tall. He grabbed her and pulled her towards him like a sack of potatoes.

The doctors let out another sharp breath as he pulled Rey into his lap and held her, smoothing her hair down his hand as he softly rested his cheek against the top of her head. Rey huffed softly but held Ben back just as hard as he held her. Her ribs creaked, her wounds burned, and her mind and emotions felt broken and raw. She softly reached out across the bond, his emotions were swirling like a tornado. But all the heat was gone. Suddenly his emotions felt as empty and cold as she felt before. Before his emotions felt like sitting at a warm fire on a cool night when he was calm. Before they felt like lava running melting metal and burning wood when he was angry. But now he felt like a cold ocean mist cooling her skin. She suddenly felt too internally and needed the cool chill of his emotions.

Ben felt her touch across the bond. Her touch feeling like a fevered hand reaching for a glass of water. He felt different, he felt wrong, never in Ben's life had he ever felt cool before. Before he took the name of Kylo, he had always been a low burning flame. Something wasn't right, the energy he felt coming from Rey was overly warm, her body not burning too hot, but her emotions, her soul, SHE felt like she had suddenly caught fire. Not knowing where to go or what to do, he just continued to hold her, until she had slipped back into a sleep, the doctors worrying she'll slip back into acoma. But waking up was hard for them, this sleep was now a restful sleep. Once he was sure she was deep enough in her sleep, he stood, taking her with him like she was nothing more than a doll, and placed her back on her bed. One of the nurses put the blanket back on top of her and handed him a shirt. He picked at the machine stickers with his fingernails and then pulled the shirt over his head. He already was wearing the pants that matched the shirt, which were much too wide for him. Instead of tall and skinny he was wearing tall and wider clothing. Maybe these scrubs belonged to that one nurse, who seemed to be 7 feet tall and as wide as a door.

"You need to stay in bed and rest." one of them said, her scrubs a light blue, the only other color than white in this room. He just looked at her uninterested. She shut her mouth and huffed before turning to leave.

"Is the rest of this base like this? Will i need shoes?" Ben asked, his voice sounding weird in his own ears. The nurse looked at him softly, before leaving the room, he sighed wondering if she knew who he was, what he had done. Suddenly with the fire gone, he no longer felt so rough and hollow. Suddenly he didn't feel the need to be the worst possible form of himself. He wasn't sure how long he stood there, watching Rey sleep softly, waking up and seeing her large eyes, hollow looking face staring at him had felt like just another lightsaber to the heart. He had almost killed her, and himself. Ben took a steading breath, running his hands through his loose hair, it had gotten decently long, he normally kept it at about the same length, just long enough it framed his face. But now it was a good 3 inches longer.

How long had they been out? He sat on his bed with a heavy thump, loud enough he worried he might accidentally wake Rey up. Everytime he thought of her he had the desire to reach out and touch her face. To feel how soft her skin was under his fingers again. He almost allowed himself to stand again, to reach over and brushed the hair out of her face, when the nurse he saw earlier had came back. She was holding a pair of what seemed to be hard bottomed slippers. She mumbled a soft. "All i could find." and slipped out again before Ben could say thank you. He scoffed to himself. Slippers.

After donning his slippers, and the borrowed scrubs that were too large on the sides but barely long enough, he left the hospital room. Turning down hallways that started out as white medical tile until it became regular stone flooring. Where ever they were this place was old. Ben didn't like the way everyone glanced at him, without trying to look at him. The base started to get colder the more he followed the force, the hairs on his arms standing on edge as he moved deeper and deeper into the base. Ben wasn't sure where he was going, or why he had left Rey's side, every other moment they have had together, he had to closely been dragged away.

The bond was growing stronger in his mind, it was pulling at his edges, reminding him which way was home, a breadcrumb trail that couldn't be tampered with. Eventually his walking lead him to an old door, inside a storage closet. The chains that once held it shut were cut and put on the shelf next to it. The dust on the floor had recently been disturbed by one set of shoes. He knew who was behind this door, he could feel it in his veins, which for the first time in his life ran with deep seeded icy hate, instead of the burning rage he use to feel. Ben rubbed at his arm for a moment before he decided to open the door, he could feel every scar under his fingers, every burn and cut he ever received on his arms. He took a deep breath and opened the door to the caves. The glowing lights taking a moment to show up in his vision, he stood right on the other side of the door for a moment, letting the low light become the light. Ben started walking down the path that was lighted by jars of white glowing slime that dripped down the walls.

Everything glowing in here was odd, most things just turned colorless in darkness, but these kept their sight and color but glowed instead. Thinking about anything other than speaking to luke helped calm him, the nerves in his body swishing like and over full bottle of water. But he had to speak to him before Rey woke up, because something wasn't right, neither of them felt right. He walked up behind luke, who didn't seem to notice him, or he did was and choosing to ignore him.

"Good to see you up Rey." Lukes voice, sounding tired and strained.

"Actually Rey's sleeping again." Ben said, he watched Luke flinch, jump up and face him. All of it so quick for a man that's decently old.

"But- you felt like Rey. what are you doing?!" Luke reached for his lightsaber, which wasn't at his waist. Ben took a deep breath and just held his hands up weakly in front of him in surrender.

"I'm not doing this on purpose. Something isn't right. Before when i reached through the bond with Rey, i'd feel a chilling mist of water, or when she was upset or angry, i felt a storm raging, the ocean swirling. Now she feels like a low burning flame, the sand in hot sunlight." Ben walked up to where Luke was sitting, and sat down next to him. Luke still looking like a scared cat, all puffed up and ready to pounce. The rock was cold beneath Ben's clothing, his hands resting on the rock surface. All the heat was being pulled out of him and into this rock. Places strong with the Jedi force always felt draining to him, compared to how Luke described it as calming seeping of all negative emotions and thoughts. That's all Ben had to hold him up. Negative thoughts and emotions. What was left after it was all taken away? A hollow husk.

Once several years ago Luke and Ben had sat like this before at a sight similar in nature. A voice Ben now knew as Snoke use to haunt his mind, creating dark pockets of hatred and despair. Those emotions and thoughts would fill him up until he felt himself to be bursting until the night Luke had tried to kill him. Maybe snoke was clouding Lukes mind too, maybe in a way it was both of them together that finally caught the flame. Ben had burned the school to the ground, taken a few children with him, to give to this voice as a peace offering. Killed the others, while snoke told him to let them burn alive. Even the evil he commited had a form of mercy. Yet no one else would see it that way.

"I'm letting old things die. Im done letting the past that's been corrupted by Snoke drag me anywhere i don't wish to go." Ben's voice echoed through the caves softly. Even he could hear the pain in his voice, betrayed by his own master so many years ago, days ago he betrayed his master himself then. How cycles seem to continue.

"You two have been out for close to two months." Luke said, slowly sitting back down beside Ben. His bones creaking and popping as he went down, Ben realized Luke was getting old. The jedi order wouldn't be lasting long anymore. Ben could sense that Luke knew something else, something he wasn't telling him, but he weakly ignored it for now. It'd come out eventually, as all things do.

"Tell me Luke. What is to happen to us now?" Ben said into the silence of the caves, he could see Luke shifting, trying to draw timeout to think before he responded.

"You've committed vast crimes against the galaxy, it's people, it's leaders. Any other person the punishment would be death. But… death with you comes at a price. Your counterpart would also die, and she has a bright future ahead of her of helping with the light." Ben released the breath he had been holding, he knew that's the truth, if it wasn't they would of let him die months ago. Rey was too important to them, but did Luke feel the darkness she had inside of her too?

During their fight she had poured every emotion, every thought, every darkness she ever had into the bond to throw him off balance. The bond now felt heavy with overflowing emotions, even months after the fight. Ben had done the same, he had dumped every feeling, every darkness he held into that bond, but what had happened afterwards? Where did all those raw emotions go? Back into each other? Did they mix and create some kind of grey blob floating around? Ben chewed on the inside of his cheek, he didn't feel like he use to, before that battle, was it all really Snoke, or was he absorbing Rey's good side?

The water was softly bubbling, flowing, trickling down the walls. Despite the draining feeling he always had, he crossed his legs to meditate with the intention of calming himself. He hadn't tried it in so many years he was almost sure he was doing it wrong. He sat like that for hours, the rock underneath him draining him of everything that he was, but for the first time he didn't mind. He kept gently touching the bond, hoping that he'd feel her coolness coming through, crashing against his heat and steaming. Instead all he felt was overbearing heat, heat that felt like physical clouds that he couldn't wade past. His chest hurt, his heart pounded, and Luke peeled his eyes off of him before standing and turning to leave.

"I need to find a women. You wouldn't happen to have access to the First Order data logs would you?" Luke's voice echoed across the caves, his voice almost being drowned out by the heat in Ben's mind, all he managed was a weak nod. That's if the First Order hadn't utterly collapsed on itself with those in lower commands having a power hungry bloodbath over who would become the next leader. Luke's feet softly carried him away and out of the cave system until it was just Ben, sitting cross legged and breathing deeply. Searching the expanse of the galaxy for some kind of information. If the first order thought him dead, they wouldn't be concerned with getting rid of his data, and he's sure from the puddle of blood the two of them left behind there would be plenty of blood to convince them he was dead. Maybe that's what he wants.

Rey bolted awake, her chest tight with fear, to find herself not where she had been the first time. The first room had been larger, with bright lights everywhere, built into the walls, the ceiling. Everything was a bright white in that room as well, big enough to hold two beds and all the monitoring equipment they needed. But now she was in a dimly lit room, the floor based lights that were tucked up against the walls had a soft white glow. This room was also white, but the floor had a more off white light, while the ceiling wasn't white at all.

Ben wasn't here with her, and this room only held one bed. She reached out for Ben through the bond, he was there, he was alive, he was far away and meditating. His insides felt cold, like a bucket of ice water had been poured on his fire. She felt out to him with the burning edges of her mind and he blocked her contact; and it stung. He's busy, show told herself, her chest squeezing at the thought. He didn't have to humor you everytime you came calling. She whispered to herself in her mind. You had tried to kill him. The memory flipping through her mind. She flinched.

But she was scared, scared of where they were, what was going on and what would be happening with their lives now. Had they been captured by the First Order, was she a prisoner once again. Or had the rebels managed to take them home. Where was this home now? She felt out with the force, glancing her minds fingers over the edges of everything and everyone. She didn't feel the neat order of hallways and levels. The building was built down in twisting passages, deep inside this planet she reached out into caves made of crystals, glowing things and Ben. she opened her own eyes and Luke was standing in front of her, staring very intently, as if he had felt her touch slide over him like he was nothing. He hadn't like what he felt either it seems. He had a deepening frown that got deeper as it glanced over her face.

"He was right, something isn't right here." he said, rubbing his beard before turning and leaving the room. Not even a hello. It felt like a glancing blow across her chest, tightening the hollow burning she felt. She looked around the room and found a stack of clothes, a pair of scrubs with a long sleeved shirt. And a pair of hard soled slippers. She changed into the given clothes, out of the gown they had her in, and quietly left the room.

She made he way through the base, at first going to where Ben was, but about halfway there she decided that he didn't want her around. So she'd wait till he seeked her out. She decided she wasn't always going to follow him. Her chest burned at being lonely, even at a place that was suppose to have friends. Finn was somewhere, she could feel him, but he was drowning in his misery at the fact Poe had betrayed them. As far as she knew they weren't sure why he had still, he was always so fast to want to defend everyone from the First Order. Maybe while he had been held prisoner they had done some kind of brainwashing on him. She wandered past hallways and meeting rooms.

The command center had all the important people in there, none of them glanced at her, she felt like a ghost, floating past people with her toes barely touching the floor. She wanted a purpose, a reason to be here. Before everything it had been to bring Luke home, to defeat kylo, to defeat the supreme leader. Ben had cut down the supreme leader like he was made of butter. Had Kylo been defeated the moment Ben had cut him down? Or was he still in there, waiting for Ben to lose control again. Could he lose control when all he had left inside of him was ice.

Rey eventually found a rebel who didn't seem to busy, asked him where the showers and an empty room could be found for her to sleep in. the look he gave her was of surprise.

"You are Rey aren't you?" He said, his black hair cut short to his head, his blue eyes shining. Rey nodded her head, slowly, worried as to the reason he was so excited to see her.

"You have your own rooms, they come with a private bathing room. Everyone's been waiting for you to wake up, you have a very important rank now." he said, his voice chipper, it felt grating on her head.

As they walked she had to stop, and put her hand against the wall, to take a breather. This base was very large and her wounds burned so much.

"Should you even be out of bed?" his voice sounded so concerned. Something about the way he tilted his head at her made her feel like a child again. She shoved off the wall, rage beginning to pool in her chest.

"I'm fine" she barked, her voice coming out harsher than she meant, but he just nodded and continued walking; now in silence for the rest of the way. On the far side of the base was where her rooms were located, as far from the hospital wing as you could get. Maybe they knew she'd want away, maybe it was convenient to shove her all the way over here. She wasn't sure and clenched her fists. Once they rounded the corner and saw her door, there was a pile of things outside of it. What seemed to be flowers, and cards, random things that made no sense to her. She picked one of them up tenderly, and examined it. The young man that had brought her here had clapped his hands together. A large smile on his face.

"Oh i'm glad everyone has been leaving you get well soon gifts." his voice had all the excitement she didn't feel. She turned over the card, in big loopy writing it said 'Get well soon' with a large smiling cat drawn on it. Everything in front of her seemed to be hand made. Things were signed from people she'd never met, people she didn't know.

"I don't understand." her voice coming out rougher than intended, her emotions were so raw she couldn't control how she sounded. Like it wasn't even her speaking anymore.

"It's a thing people do to let you know they care. Let me help you pick everything up so you can take it into your room and look through it all."

She stood there and watched as he picked up card after card, object after object, what seemed to be little stuffed animals and flowers. Loose flowers, vases of flowers. He made a few trips, putting everything on the desk in her new rooms. After he had finished collecting everything, he started to walk away. He glanced back and saw her just weakly staring at the empty spot on the floor where everything had been sitting. He frowned, walked back over to her and help guide her into the room. He gently directed her to sit at the desk. And said something about sending a nurse to check on her. He left her sitting there and closed the door.

Not sure how much time had passed since he left, she finally moved out of the chair, the shock of everyone concern finally wearing off. She was curious of where she was, so she opened drawers filled with clothes similar to jedi robes, her old clothes, a new style of her old clothes. The grey desert clothes she had once worn, even sleeping clothes had been given to her. In another closet she found what seemed to be jackets and shoes. What was the outside like? The inside of the base had been pleasant, but as far as she could tell the base was built downwards. Into the planet. Was it cold outside? She felt the bond pull, Ben had decided he was ready to see her, after the way he held her in the hospital she thought he wouldn't of left her side. He would of been at the foot of her bed like she had been at the foot of his, she felt a bitterness in her chest, she could almost taste it. So she slammed down the bond, refusing to respond when he came knocking at her door thirty or so minutes later, instead she got up and went into the showers. Why she felt so bitter she wasn't sure, every negative emotion seemed to be geared up to ten and she couldn't shut it down.

Ben had knocked on her door, after finally getting up from meditating, something wasn't right with Rey, she felt raw and angry. She had slammed down the bond so quickly that he almost wasn't sure it was her doing it. He could feel her rage even after she closed the gate between them, once before it had been a wall, with nothing coming or going through the bond, it was now a large metal gate. Still just as blocking, but her emotions could pour out through the gaps of the gate. He could feel rage and bitterness, and a crushing sense of isolation. He shouldn't have pushed her away when she first came seeking for him. Ben knew something was wrong but he just seemed to make it worse.

He could hear the water start after he had knocked, she had waited till he was there to get in, to make sure she wouldn't be out by the time he came looking for her. He thought about waiting until she was done, but he had to go find Luke in the command center. Had to face the music. He had seeked Rey out to say goodbye, incase they sent him away from her. But she was angry and wouldn't see him. He knocked again, and sent his regret through the bond. Ben knew she could feel it, running his hand through his hair. He turned his back to the door and went to the command center.

The walk back to the command center didn't feel as long as the walk to Reys rooms had felt. He walked in still wearing his borrowed scrubs and slippers to stand in front of the newest generals and the commanders. Luke stood off to the side at a computer talking to a techinction. Their voices hushed, but Luke's concern written all over his face. The moment he entered the room, everyone had turned to look at him. Including a short, fat looking man with a commanders rank. He had blue skin and looked vaguely like a frog. Although Ben just ignored all of them and walked past to where Luke stood. Luke glanced over his shoulder briefly before going back to what he was doing.

"Why is this man just walking around. Someone arrest him please." the new general commanded, she was tall and thin, with light purple colored hair. She had a frown on her face that meant she knew who he was. But he had never met her before in her life. Rebels with plasma blasters stepped forward, to arrest him, they marched close enough to grab him, but Luke raised his hand and brushed them away. The soldiers glanced between the new general and the Jedi master. She bristled at the way Luke just ignored her. But jedis did not adhere to laws set forth by others. And these rebels seemed to fear Luke almost as much as they feared Ben. Despite his appearance of looking like a drowned cat, his hair was messy curls, the scars on his torso and face tugged and burned, but he was tall and took up a lot of space. He stood up straighter to his full height and squared his shoulders. Ready to fight if needed.

The new general wasn't impressed with his foreboding look, but all that mattered is that the soldiers took a step back from him. And when he was sure this little power struggle was over, he turned back to Luke to see what they were looking at.

"So uncle. What's been going on since i almost died?" his voice had a lighter note to it than had in awhile, he really had no clue what was going on in the galaxy. But he had an idea.

"Hmm? Oh it's all going to shit." Luke explained. He explained how the First Order has broken off into three sub groups, the knights of Ren taking over on group, general Hux taking over another with the stormtroopers, and a 3rd group that seemed to be low ranking stormtroopers tired of following general hux and the knights of Ren. The whole system seemed to have collapsed while the First Order computer system still was up and running. No one had quite the chance to shut the others out from the system.

"We're currently trying to figure out a way to access it without alerting them of our location." Luke said, Ben grinned when he looked at him.

"You don't have to worry about that, my personal access is invisible to the system. No one can find it. It was a security thing." Luke breathed a sigh of relief. Whoever this woman was, he really wanted to find her. Someone important to the Rebels? If so she would be dead already, if the First Order knew about the connection. Someone important to just Luke? Luke didn't seem to care about much anyone. Ben wasn't sure what they wanted from this woman, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he really wanted to know.

"So. who are we looking for?" Ben asked, Luke gave him a pointed look before waving him off. Normally a brush off would of had Ben steaming, ready for a fight, but today it felt like a dull pang. And he left it; instead hoping to maybe find a room for himself. He stopped at the doors leaving the command center.

"Do you know where i'm supposed to be? And don't say the prison." Ben had a smile on his face but the soldier just spit at the ground, before barking out a quick.

"Near Rey." and turned back to attention. Ben brushed it off, turning to walk back the way he had came to the command center. Maybe he was letting old things die, for that disrespect would of lost his head back before the fight. He still wasn't sure what had happened. Maybe he had burned through all his emotions, maybe he could finally find peace.

thank you for reading, please review it if you could i'd really appreciate it c:


	3. Chapter 3

Ben sat meditating in the cave systems oftenly and for hours at a time, he had given up trying to force his way into the majority of the dark side, the dark side flowed all around him, but he still had the lightside deep inside his heart. The mixing of the two sides in his soul began to feel grey, a grey area like his life here at this base. His connection with Rey. she was still floating around this place like a ghost. A hollowed out husk of her former self. Everytime he tried to connect with her through the bond he only felt burning emotions, when he tried to see her soul when standing in front of her, he could only see a shadowed form of who she had been before the battle. Light no longer shined around her edges when he focused on the force around her being. It left him with a pulsing headache and clenched teeth, but he could see people physical manifestations of the force they carried if he tried just hard enough.

When he was younger Lukes had been a blue that swirled like the ocean on a peaceful day, his mother's leia's had been a dark green that resembled flowering thorn bushes. Her death sat heavy on his soul, snoke had been controlling his movements. He knew he wouldn't strike her down if he was in control. The way snoke had just taken over, like the controls of a starfighter. He had felt so wrong afterwards. After he had gone back to snokes destroyer, he had been tempted to take his own lightsaber to his hand, and remove it for what he had done. After his father's death snoke had been watching him closely.

After leia's death he had finally a chance to mourn both of them, properly, he had destroyed and crashed everything that was within his grasp. He had screamed and melted metal deep inside the destroyer, so deep inside that he was left alone. After he had spent all his energy, all his tears, all his hate, he had felt a hand on his shoulder. It was brief and weak, her fingers thinner than the last time he had seen her, he glanced over his shoulder to see her arm more transparent than her hand, it ended before her torso, where all that was of her standing with him was just her arm. But he understood, leia was still with him, and she didn't hate him for the monster he'd become.

He had been meditating hoping to find answers to how he might finally brush off the weight of snokes control on his mind, the corruption staining almost every reach of his mind, he meditated to find a answer to help Rey. Luke had been scarce since finding out the truth about Han and Leia death's, too busy checking on Rey as she haunted the base. She was never where she was suppose to be, at first they had just tried locking her into her rooms until they could deal with whatever was wrong with her. But locks stood no chance with her, she'd just look at one and it would almost shatter trying to unlock itself so quickly. Ben had sat several times, sitting across from her, trying to reach inside her mind. But he could never get through the ocean of fire that greeted him every time he tried.

He felt her before he heard her, Rey's feet lightly tapping on the rock behind him, she walked up behind him, her sunken cheeks and her darkened eyes met his when he turned to see her. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she stood there, she had lost so much weight in the last weeks. Her body fighting a battle he didn't know what it was about. Even with her being so hollowed, such a shadow of who she had been when they first clashed, he still couldn't pull his eyes away from her. Her brown eyes use to glow, but now they had darkened, she didn't look like the same person. She walked over to where he was sitting, and sat behind him, her knees pulled up close to her chest. He was to swivel on his spot to look straight ahead at her. The blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Ben held his hand out for her to take it. He hadn't touched her since they had woken up in the hospital the weeks before. He had hoped she would be better by now, but as she held his hand her gaze didn't flinch, didn't move, she didn't seem like her anymore.  
He reached into her mind, hoping that the contact was the extra step he needed to get past that ocean of fire he'd seen in her mind so many times before. This time started out no different, the half a world of fire was there, Ben could see the shadow of footsteps, hovering above the fire, in front of him, he'd never seen those before. He took a tentative step, feeling out with his food. He felt hard ground beneath it, the moment he started following the footsteps the fire died down to just the size of a campfire. Where Rey was sitting in front of it. She was huddled under her blanket, her cheeks sunken, her eyes had these large dark circles, and in front of her was a mass of black cloud, held back by the fire in front of her.

He jolted out of her mind, he dropped her hand and her eyes briefly flashed hurt as she turned her head to look at him. Oh this was his fault, he had triggered the darkness inside of her, for Rey it was harder to push it away than for Ben to seek it out. He went from sitting to kneeling in front of her; he held her face in his hands and stared deeply into her eyes.

"I'm here for you Rey. You don't have to fight this alone. You're no longer alone." his voice coming out as a strained whisper, his chest was so tight it hurt to breath.

"You're not alone." he said again, slightly louder, her hollowed eyes coming into focus so quickly, so sharply, her hands shot out from underneath her blanket and gripped his shirt so hard her nails dug into his skin.

"Neither are you." her words coming out so quietly, harshly, he could feel blood welling up under her nails, he could feel the ghost of his own hands against his face; their force bond getting almost too strong to stand, pain wasn't the only thing they felt from each other now, he could feel the ghost of the blanket on his own shoulders, just like she could feel the coldness of the stone seeping into his knees. Neither of them moved, they sat ridgely in place, his heart beating in his ears, almost overpowering the sound of Rey's breathing, of the water behind them. Ben could feel her heart beating in time with his through the contact of his hands on her face, her lips parted slightly; he dragged his eyes up from her mouth and looked into her eyes.

For the first time in weeks she seemed to be behind those eyes, for the moment she was no longer the ghost that had been haunting the base. Her eyes burned with a fierceness he hasn't seen since that night on starkiller base, when she held a lightsaber in her hands and tried to kill him. She used that fierceness to steel herself, against the cold of the galaxy, what had happened to her? He dropped the thought when she gently placed her lips on his, he closed his eyes and kissed her back gently. Pressing his lips against her's, the tightness in his chest loosened, she released her hand from his shirt and put her hand on the back of his head, sliding up into his thick black curls. Sliding one of his hands he slipped it around her back, pulling her in as close as he could with the odd angle they sat at. Her sitting on the stone, her knees pulled up in between them, him on his knees in front of her, he still towered over her, he tightened his pull on her and she slide forward as he leaned over top of her.

She tightened her hand in his hair, a handful of curls, as she pulled his head closer to deepen the kiss. He leaned back just for a moment, to breath, to look at her hollowed but still beautiful face, the glowing slime lighting the angles on her face to show the sharpness of her cheeks. She closed her eyes again as he crushed his lips against her, the gentleness in the last kiss passing as she pulled on the bond between them. Tugging on his soul until he wasn't sure where his edges ended and hers started. His hand that was holding her face dropped down, grabbing her hip and squeezing tightly. Rey turned her head breaking the kiss, both their breathing labored, heating up the space between their faces.

She looked deeply into his eyes, different shades of brown meeting, his dark, so dark like ebony, hers the color of honey. He was searching her face, his hands still holding tightly onto her hip and her back, afraid shes going to slip out of his fingers again.

"What's changed?" his voice breathy, Ben started to lean back, but instead of separating from her, he pulled her forward into his lap. He lifted her so easily, crossing his legs underneath them, he cradled her in his arms so protectively. His hand drifted over her face, sliding over her shoulder, down her leg, before he brought it back up and held it against her cheek. Her face was overly warm under his fingers, her eyes started to lose the sharpness they had, he tapped her cheek. She brought her eyes back to his, a small smile ghosting her lips.

"Nothing." her voice a soft whisper, before she slide out of his arms, and walked away from him without even a glance back. His body felt cold with her heat leaving, but his insides chilled at the thought of her fighting a battle with the dark side that he hadn't prepared for. Nor the silence that was left in her wake, he folded in on himself, putting his hands in his hair and breathing deeply. What was he to do?

Rey glideded her way from where Ben sat, huddled over with concern or rejection Rey couldn't be sure. She wasn't sure she wanted to keep fighting these negative emotions inside her that seemed to be growing, the fire she was feeling wasn't going anywhere. She looked over the water by the door exiting the caves, and squeezed her fists, the rock crumbled like it was made of dry dirt, the sound silent as she let the dust fall into the water. It sent a shiver up her spine, her mind went sharp. She let that power destroy the rock at her direction and it took it and ran. Even before with her connection to the force it had never felt so fluid; a stream which use to get blocked by every branch in the way, now flowed so strong the branches were swept away.

She left the caves, her feet making no noise on the flooring in the base, which was mostly shut down for the night, the few guards were the third shift. Rey had sought Ben out in the caves, he didn't seem to sleep. His rooms staying empty most of the times, she could feel him embracing the light side, which no longer brought her the joy it had the first time she had the thought. There was a tugging at the edges of her person, she wanted so desperately to belong somewhere, but the way the base looked at her like a monster. The way they looked at Ben; she knew she'd never belong with the rebels.

Rey made her way to the observation deck, the only part of the base that stood out from the ground and cave system. White trees grew in every direction, the stars were out with no light on this side of the planet drowning out the stars. They shined from every section of the galaxy, planets, moons, suns, everything coming together. Rey stopped the two sides of herself from fighting, slowly letting the light and dark mesh into a odd lumpy shape of mostly dark matter. Her chest tightened, the light was losing and she was letting it.

Kylo Ren had once told her to let the old things die, to let her fate take control and allow herself to become who she was meant to be. Was she meant to be on the dark side? Had she let hope for her parents to come back for her keeping her hoping, instead of steeling herself for the realities of life? She stared up into the galaxy that floated around her, the stars couldn't lie but they had no advice to share. Luke's presence was suddenly behind her, the swaying of his cloak in the wind brought her back to the ground they stood on. Her internal battle brushed off into the background.

"There's something to tell you." his voice was steady, his robotic hand gripping the handrail next to him, she didn't stop looking up, but her thoughts were trained on him.

"You're here to send me and Ben away." her voice cold and hollow, the way Luke had been looking at her for the last week had told her everything she needed to know. She would never belong.

"That's part of it. I need you to come with me on a personal mission. After we find out the truth you'll both be free to live how you see fit." he said, at that she turned to him. A frown on her face, he almost flinched at how hollow she had become.

"We'll never be free of the reaches of light or dark. It grips our hearts and squeezes with hate. Hate for each other." her voice still quiet but with a sharpness that he hadn't been prepared for. Ben was the one to convince him that they needed to leave the base for her own good. Luke felt like they were no longer themselves but each other. The thought spreading across his mind with surprise. That battle had done more than almost kill them.

"We'll never be free until the jedi and the sith are gone." she said, looking him dead in the face as she shoved past him, Luke standing silently in surprise at her statement. She was the child who had begged him to train her only months ago, her eyes no longer full of life and yearning. It was now full of spite and disdain for those who stood near.

The next day Luke had sent for both Rey and Ben to collect their belongings, they'd be gone for a good while both of them showed up with a single backpack of their things. Ben looked generally awkward as he stood there between Luke and Rey, towering over both of them as Luke swept past them and onto the ship, where they were going Rey wasn't sure. Ben was staring at her intensely as she walked past, she could feel his desire from where she stood, but when she turned to look at him, he wouldn't make eye contact.

Luke hadn't told them much about where they were going, or what they were doing. Rey and Ben had stood at the handrail of the viewing port on the unnecessary luxury shuttle. The rebels had collected it at some point and had intended to sell it. But with the levels of heavy deaths and machine losses they weren't going to let Luke take a ship that they could use during a battle.

The luxury shuttle was a smooth ride as it started out to a small moon on the far side of the Galaxy. The whole trip was to take 5 days. They'd be staying on this ship together for 5 days straight. Rey and Ben still stood at the window, watching as the space started flying past as they entered hyperdrive. Ben had been looking out of the corner of his eye at Rey, her hands held the railing tightly and her eyes looked dull and uninterested in the view in front of them.

Rey turned her eyes onto Ben, feeling his eyes on the side of her face. Her eyes held his for a moment, the bond pulling tight between them. He held her eyes and reached out with his hand, lightly touching the side of her face. He quickly dropped his hand and turned to face the other way when Luke came marching in. If he could feel the tension between the two he didn't comment on it. But instead gestured for them to all sit together at the large table nearby.

"This mission is personal to me. I'm hoping to locate the women who I had.. lived with for many years." Luke's voice soft and calm. He wants to confirm with her that Rey isn't his. Doctors have been wrong before, before he tells the two sitting in front of him. They glanced at each other and shrugged. Ben shoving back his chair and stalking out of the room and finding an empty room. The door sliding shut loudly. How he had managed to slam an automatic shutting door Luke couldn't figure out.

He looked over to Rey, who sat folded in on herself. Small shock on her face. "We're looking for my mother?" She said quietly, she was squeezing her hands together.

"I know which planet she's on. But we have to find her once we're there. Ben must think this is a waste of his time." Luke said, sweeping his hand towards where Ben had went. Rey turned her head to follow the movement, she shook her head.

"No. Not a waste of his time. He just knows when a conversation that doesn't involve him." Luke eyed her intensely.

"How would you know that?" He leaned forward in his chair, his gaze making her shift in her seat.

"He gave me the message." Rey said, matter of factly. Rey could hear the sudden pater of water. She looked around confused, trying to place it. Luke had left to go back to the cockpit to check the settings of the autopilot. Leaving Rey with the pattering just above her head, she couldn't see it, but she felt a light misting on her face. The only conclusion she had was Ben was taking a shower. He must of felt her raw emotions through the bond because he pulled on it. Just enough to let her know he was there, that she'd never be alone.

She wandered through the ship, looking into doors and seeing rooms, storage closets, a room full of expensive fancy coats. Another room held nothing but a kitchen, with huge trays full of empty cups and empty cupboards and one cabinet full of bottles of champagne. This ship was odd, luxury was odd to Rey, who grew up with the comfort of a gutted out at-at as a home. Her stomach was grumbling, leaving that pit of a base was already making her feel better.

Inside one cabinet was full of military rations and that's all they had. Military rations for 5 days made her lip curl. That's all she had for 17 years of her life and she was sick of them. She turned around to the sink and pour some water on top of the ratios. Watching them soak up all the extra water and form the shape of a bread roll. The rest of the ratio was soaking up the water, forming a piece of bird? Rey took out a small pan to cook the bird. It formed fully cooked but rations always tasted better slightly burnt. The burnt taste makes the taste buds think it was cooked instead of just forming. Rey curled her lip at the sizzling the lump was doing. How she hated rations.

The door clicked open, Rey glanced over her shoulder to see Ben standing over by the door. Glancing around the kitchen that once cooked all kind of fancy food for fancy people. He sniffed the air and cringed at the smell. It seemed everyone hated the smell of burning rations. She looked back at the bird like object, it started to catch on fire. Rey stepped back to slam a lid down on the pan when Ben rushed over. Grabbing the handle and throwing the whole thing into the metal trash can next to the stove. The pan and food included.

"What are you doing Ben?!" Rey's voice going up higher than she meant to. She was holding the lid in her hand. The bread roll on the counter.

"I'm not letting you eat burnt…. Is that gorg belly? Disgusting." He said. Taking the lid from her hands and throwing that into the trash as well. He was wearing a simple black shirt and black pants. So causal so not the dramatics of Ben. But he did just throw away the cooking utensils that contained the food, Rey thought, that's where the dramatics are right now.

"Is that what it was? I thought it was some kind of bird, thing." Rey said shrugging, she didn't know food very well. Rations had all been bread and some kind of meat paste.

Ben gave her this long unbelievable look. "Bird? That? What kind of bird has these like 8 limbs coming off of it?'" Rey just shrugged again. Before just sitting at a stool on the other side of sink. Bens hair was still wet, barely dried off and dripping water all over his shirt and the counters. The water from his hair made his shirt stick to his shoulders, accenting the muscles in his upper back. She dragged her eyes away from his back and looked over to the trashcan which was still smoking. Rey could feel the coolness around her neck, or feel the ghost of the coolness of the water on Bens neck. It was keeping him to getting too warm, being around Rey always made him too warm.

He straightened his back and went digging for more food, he found a dried packet of something he recognized. A surprised "huh" coming out. She stood up slightly to see what it was over his shoulder. He turned around to see her standing on one of the rungs on the stool to be taller. But only ended up being his height.

"It's a ration of a bird from my mother's planet. Gorak. I thought they were extinct since the planet was blown up back when my mother was a young woman." Ben's voice held a sense of awe. Would it taste like the stories he heard?

"Maybe there's some somewhere else being raised as a delicacy?" Rey asked, sitting back on the stool as he turned the ration over in his hands.

"Or it's just that old." He said with a grin spreading across his face. Rey made a disgusted expression, she wasn't sure how old that ration packet could be. Let alone if it was still good to eat. Ben pulled out another pan from some cabinet, he reached effortlessly to the cabinet over his head and pulled out what seemed to be some small bottles full of something. Ben brought the pan, bottles, and water in front of Rey. He dumped water into the pan, poured all kinds of odd colors powders and flakes from the bottles. Rey watched in fascination.

"The second young Rey, is to add seasonings and water and cook that together before adding the powder. That way the water and seasonings form together and then form the food. It's better than burnt preformed food." Ben looked up at Rey face long enough to see the confusion.

"What are seasonings? I've only ever had the burnt food. To cover the taste of the ration." Rey watched as surprise crossed his face, then understanding, then sadness. His lips formed a tight line.

"It's normally dried plants or other things grounded up into powder and you put it in food to make it taste better. It what makes the food at the bases taste better." She nodded her head slightly watching as the water and seasonings cooked. He poured the packet of powder into the colorful water and Rey watched in surprise as it formed a bird this time. It did look vastly different from the first thing she'd made. It was colorful and smelled decently for being a ration of unknown age.

Rey's stomach growled loudly at the smell and Ben let out a soft chuckle. He cut the portion in half and putting them between the two plates he had managed to find. Rey felt peaceful like this, sitting with Ben while he was making something for them to eat. The darkness on her soul had started to lift the more and more she was around him. She had been avoiding him at the base to keep her distance from him. To keep from being drawn to him, but now they were here for at least 5 days. Maybe she'd be more like her usual self by the time this mission was over.

A shadow crossed his face the moment she began to feel herself pushing the darkness away. He turned away from her to keep her from seeing the look in his eyes. Ben gripped the counter and took a deep steadying breath. He could feel the grips of the darkness closing in on him. Clenching his soul tightly under its grasp. The sound of Rey gasping as she started eating brought him out of his thoughts. The darkness backing up slightly.

"I never knew rations could taste like something other than dirt and sadness." Rey exclaimed biting into more of her food. Ben faced her again with an easy smile at her comparison.

"Burnt dirt and sadness." He corrected. Picking at his food himself, the bird didn't taste the way he thought it would. It tasted like any kind of bird he's already eaten before. The memory of his mom describing the bird always made his mouth water. It was either the fact it was a cheap imitation, or he lost his appetite at the overpowering darkness creeping over his being. Rey looked the happiest she'd been in weeks, her feet kicking back and forth as she ate. She cleared her plate and Ben pushed his towards her, she gladly took it and started eating that one too.

The ship was silent besides the humming coming from the engine. The ship had a slight rocking motion and Ben suddenly felt so drained that he could hardly stand up. The darkness he felt hovering nearby was draining him, trying to make him weaker so it could take hold. Did he want it to? To take over himself so completely that he could finally be part of the dark side. Where did that leave him with Rey? Would she join him. Or be pushed to the other side?

He sat down heavily on to the stool next to her, propping his head up in his hand as he watched her eating. He'd never seen anyone enjoy food the way she does. Even shitty rations from a stolen ship. Did Rey know that? That the good side. The rebels. Had stolen this ship from a docking station to auction it off to the highest bidder.

While he showered he had felt her opening doors, she opened the door to his room and quickly closed it. It had been the one she was drawn to first, she shuffled off in her embarrassment, finding random things as she went. He had felt the soft fur as she reached out and touched the expensive coats in the closet. Her hands lingering on the softest coat. The warmth of it melting through the bond. Not everything came through the bond. But some things did. When her emotions were strong enough he could feel what she touched, the sounds around her. The smells. That's when the burning had drawn him out of the shower and he found her in the kitchen. Catching things on fire.

The way she looked when he came into the kitchen he almost rushed her and kissed her, but he held back, rushing over to deal with the fire she made.

He opened his eyes from where he closed them for a moment while she was eating. She was done, and watching him closely. Her eyes a sharp honey color that bore into his soul. He sleepily reached out and lightly touched her cheek. His fingers trailing against the soft skin of her face. His finger caught a thin scar on her cheek, stopping for a moment before it continued on it's path down the side of her face. She watched him so intently as he half lidded eyes stared into hers. He felt her skin heating up under his fingers, a blush creeping across her face. The bond thumping with her heart beat as it got louder and faster.

Rey reached up with her hand and gripped his hand with hers, she rubbed his fingers, she noted how rough his hands felt, not in a bad way, but a he worked with his hands often and proudly. Scars were covered over his fingers, the palm of his hand, the top of his hand. Her own hands had similar scars, from her years on jakku. Her eyes were focused on his hands while his were focused on her, he sat up and slide closer. Taking his hand away from hers, cupping her face in both of his hands and he leaned down. Pressing his lips against hers softly. The bond pulling from an emotion Ben would describe is need, a desperate need that burned for him to get closer to her. She felt it tugging at her insides, as she slipped her hand around his torso to lightly press against his back.

Ben slide one of his hands from her face into her hair, which she hasn't tied back just yet today, it hung loose down around her shoulders and it was soft in between his fingers. He deepened the kiss by moving to the edge of his seat, to move any closer he'd have to stand. They're knees already making contact. Her lips were soft and she tasted like a hint of spice. She opened her lips slightly and softly licked his lips. He bit back a groan as he tightened the grip he had in her hair.

This time he broke the kiss, standing up quickly, Rey almost fell off her perch on the stool. She gained her composer as she watched him practically run out of the kitchen. She watched as his starting to dry hair, where the ends were starting to curl and the back of his black clothing slipped out of the automated door. It shutting behind him. Her thumping heart was no longer pounding in her ears. Maybe she had pushed him too far. She sat for a moment longer before she dumped the dirty plates in the sink and left the kitchen. Going to the room farthest away from the one Ben had taken over.

Luke had stayed in the front of the ship for awhile. His mind heavy with emotions and plans, decisions to make on what would happen next. His heart heavy. He hasn't seen her in so many years. Rey's training driving them apart, she didn't want her to be trained. Worried that she wouldn't be strong enough and would wash out. Being seen as a disappointment to Luke. He watched the light speed stars fly past as he sat by a large window. He heard Ben quickly run down the hall and the door slide shut. A few minutes later Rey went into a room farther down the ship and that door slide shut, Sounding softer than Bens had. Maybe it was just his imagination.

They were starting to feel like themselves again, which was a good and bad thing. Ben tended to have tantrums that got loud and messy. Around Rey he seemed to be slower to rage and quicker to relax. The dark side making him volatile. While Rey being influenced by the dark side had her cold and cruel. During their time at the base, while she was haunting it. She had picked fights with some of the guards, bending their blasters until they were curly q's, force gripping their wrists when they reached out to grab her until she almost broke their bones. Her rage cold and brutal.

Luke had removed her from the base before they banished her themselves. The once beloved Rey becoming a thing of hate among the rebels who didn't know her any better. Finn had been sent on mission to try and locate another base they could hop to. The off the record mission was to try and follow up a lead on Poe. Luke had considered sending Rey with him, to get her away from whatever dark force pressed into her mind on that planet. Luke could almost feel Ben's energy radiating from the other room. Whatever had happened between them couldn't be good if this is how he was dealing with it.

Luke sighed heavily, at least he wasn't destroying the ship. He pushed his old bones to get up, his knees creaking as he got up. He started searching through some of the cabinets lined underneath the viewing windows. He found a bottle of some kind of fancy alcohol, he opened it, took a big whiff and poured himself a glass. Where he sat back down at the observation window and sipped on that drink well into the night.

Ben was pacing in his room, his chest tight and his emotions raw. He could feel Rey's dejection from the bond. She sat in an arm chair in her room, her legs pulled up tightly against her body. Her emotions were raw as well. Feeling them pulse, dragging him towards the door just for him to turn around and keep pacing. He had pulled away from her in the kitchen because he could feel the darkness licking at his heels waiting for him to slow, waiting for him to bring her over to the darkness. Rey's emotions pulling and shoving like the ocean she had once reminded him of. Ben pushed the darkness away from himself, only to feel it slide over towards Rey. It was like a fog along the ground in his mind. He tugged it away from her only to feel it latch onto his legs. He looked down but it wasn't really there. He shook his leg, hoping that it was just his imagination, lack of sleep, anything. But it wasn't, he could feel it gripping him.

Ben stumbled and fell to the ground, letting out a semi loud chirp of surprise as he landed with a thump. He kicked wildly out with his leg, the darkness holding tighter, the effort was useless. It didn't budge, he was losing the feeling in his leg. It started creeping up towards him torso, he reached out with his hands towards the door. He reached out towards Rey at the same time, she bolted up and towards his room. His mind getting heavy.

The door slid open as Rey burst in, she flung out with the force, pushing off whatever was attaching itself to Ben. He was gasping for air, the invisible hand that was closing on his chest lifting. Rey's honey eyes were full of concern, as she knelt down and held his head in her lap. Her fingers brushing across his forehead lightly. His head fevered.

"There's nothing there Ben. There's nothing there." She mumbled softly. His eyes dazed, his skin pale, his breathing jagged. He closed his eyes, and she brushed his hair with her fingers, she held her hand against his forehead and closed her eyes. Reaching into his soul through the bond, through the force, she opened her eyes and stood in a field of green grass. Grass that reached up past her knees, the sun was touching her skin, this was the field she had once imagined the first time his feeling touched her mind through the bond. Warm sunlight that touched her face, and she looked over to the side, where more heat was coming from to see the field on fire. A dark shadow was rising over the grass, and in front of it stood Ben, the darkest reaches of the black smoke swirling around him. He stood there with his lightsaber, cutting at the smoke with a glowing blue saber. He had sweat coming down his face, his teeth were clenched but none of his strikes mattered. The smoke just reformed right where it had been. He started screaming out, hacking with more hate than he had when she first saw it. She went darting towards him, the grass grabbing at her ankles slowing her progression. Until it held her in place.

Rey pulled, trying to move forward but it felt like viney quicksand. She was just far enough that he didn't hear her, but she could hear him. Ben had started yelling, screaming into the smoke. It passed by on the side that Rey could see, it created a thin veil that covered the Ben she had gotten to know. His black t-shirt and black pants, being replaced with his Kylo Ren outfit, the black gambeson with the black belt, the black pants tucked into his boots. His cape blowing behind him, his thick black curls and his expressive face behind his helmet, and in his hand was no longer the bright blue lightsaber but his unstable red one. The veil passed and it was Ben Solo again, screaming into the storm of darkness.

"LEAVE US ALONE!" his voice carried over to her, she could hear the desperation. She shoved at the weeds with her strongest force push, but all it did was drag her deeper under. She was slipping beneath the surface, when a hand jolted her from the hole she'd gotten herself stuck in. she was suddenly in the real world again. Luke's hand was gripping her shoulder tightly. He huffed in relief when she looked up at him. He was kneeled next to her and Ben, he felt his face with his hand and brought a bottle out of his robes, it smelled awful and forced Ben to drink it. Rey watched in confusion.

"He's fighting. I'll give him that." Luke's voice was strained, "he also inherited the families flair for dramatics." his voice was lighter at that comment, Ben started to open his eyes. They were hazy and dark, but he was coming out of whatever had taken over him. Rey left out a puff of air she hadn't realized she was holding.

"We can't ever just have a calm moment can we?" she asked, more to the galaxy, to the force, to whatever was out there. Both Luke and Ben looked at her, they're eyes such different colors yet so similar. What was it that moz had told her, 'live long enough and you'll see the same kind of eyes in different people', Rey smiled softly, whatever kind of test they'd had just gone through she hoped they had passed it.

"Here. Let's get him into bed. This floor can't be that comfortable." Luke said, standing, bending over to help Rey lift Ben's heavy body. He wasn't dead weight but he wasn't doing much to help it. They accidently kind of dropped him into the bed. Luke picked up his feet and placed them on the bed while Rey was putting the pillow under his head and smoothing his curly hair down with one hand while the other touched his face softly. He closed his eyes for a moment before placing his hand on top of hers. Luke watched from the end of the bed, shifting on his feet uncomfortably watching such a moment between the two of them. He watched as Rey started to pull herself away from Ben, who was starting to drift off to sleep. Ben's hand shot out and grabbed Rey's wrist, holding it, he mumbled out something Luke couldn't hear from where he stood. But he watched as Rey nodded and then to look at Luke.

"You can go ahead and go. I'm going to stay." she said, pulling up the same chair all the rooms seemed to have. And sat next to the bed, where Ben could still hold onto her wrist.

"If you need anything call for me." Luke said, he was walking out the door, when he looked over his shoulder one last time to watch as Ben brought her wrist up to his mouth and kissed it softly. Luke let the door drop shut as he backed away towards where he had left his empty glass and the bottle he had been drinking from. He slumped down and poured another glass. The two of these kids were going to be the death of him, he told himself as he looked back out into space. This trip couldn't be over fast enough for him.

Ben kissed her wrist again as he laid in the bed, her sitting by his side in the chair.

"I'd die for you." Ben mumbled to her softly, still holding her wrist to his mouth. His dark heated eyes looking into her soul like he had the key hidden behind those long dark lashes.

"I never want to be on opposing sides again. I'd rather die than never trust you." he said, rolling from his back to his side to face her, his hand that was holding her wrist pulled it away from them, gently pulling her out of her chair and half on top of him.

"Dark or light. I will be on whichever with you." she was now almost totally over him, he put his free hand on her hip, pushing her farther onto the bed until she was practically straddling his hips. He let go of her wrist once he was satisfied that she wasn't going to jump back to the chair, just out of his reach. He gripped her waist tightly, she placed her hands on his chest, her heart beating so loudly his did just because of the bond. He should be nervous, but he sat up and leaned his back against the headboard, his head was now level with hers. His air dried hair was much curlier than when he towel drys it, it stood up at odd angles. Rey's eyes following the curls that dropped heavily around his face, his eyes watched hers until she brought her eyes to meet his.

They held each other's eyes for a moment, before he crushed his lips against hers, her hands moved from his chest to the back of his head, she kissed him back with viger, a heat creeping up along his back as she got her fingers tangled in his hair. They kissed with a need that burned them both on the inside, his arms wrapped completely around her small torso, Ben pulled her closer as he sat up even straighter. She bit his lip in a way that made him chirp out a small surprise. She was so fierce it made his head spin. He opened his mouth slightly and kissed her deeper, their tongues sliding over each others bottom lip before gliding over the others tongue.

They're breathing was heavy when they finally broke apart. His face as red as hers, her fingers knotted so tightly in his hair it'd hurt if it wasn't Rey pulling it, Ben's arms were wrapped around her back so tightly, she couldn't slide backwards. Not that she wanted to, the buzzing in their bond was making her head and chest overly warm. She pulled on the bond tightly as she brought his mouth back to hers, he grumbled against her mouth, his one hand sliding down to grab her bottom roughly as the other slide farther up her back and tightened in her hair.

She was breathing so heavy and he could feel her heart against his chest, or was that his heart, or both of their hearts through the bond. He couldn't tell anymore. His only need to be closer to her, like gravity was drawing them closer and closer until they slam together and create a new star. Two stars colliding to create a new different, better one, neither being totally overtaken by the other, becoming something else that hadn't been planned for.

He broke away and placed his forehead against hers, Ben was panting almost as hard as Rey was, her nails had started digging into his skin, he could feel himself gripping her skin so tightly he was sure he was bruising her. Rey swallowed heavily, her breathing starting to level out, the redness was leaving her face, her eyes were the shade of golden honey and it made his knees weak. He lightly kissed her cheek, and she smiled so softly, closing her eyes and a small wrinkle on her nose. Oh how he needed her, he thought. Gently lifting her up and placing her next to him.

Rey reached out and gently touched his cheek, his cheek, his lips a red from their kissing, his skin flushed and warm. His eyes were a dark brown, the color of warm burning dark wood, the look he gave her made her skin warm again. She could feel his burning through the bond, even without the bond the desperate look in his eyes gave it away. She smoothly slide her hand down the side of his face, his hair curled at even odder angles after she had been running her hands through his soft curls, her hands knotting up tightly in his curls. She could feel the humming deep within the ship, and out here between the two places in the galaxy nothing else mattered but him.

"I never want to go to war with you. I'd rather die than have to fight you again." she settled in against the side of his chest, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. His heart beating in her ears as she breathed in his scent of smoke and spice. Before he could respond her eyes were closed and her breathing level. He held a peice of hair between his fingers and settled in to sleep as well. The darkness shifting at the edges of his vision, but he ignored it for he had everything he'd need to awhile right here.

(author note: thanks for reading so far guys. Its getting pretty intense between them. It'd be a shame.. If they hit a speed bump…. Please review C:)


	4. Chapter 4

(Note: I know right now my two major stories seem to share a similar taste. But they'll quickly turn away from each other)

Rey made herself thin, sending herself to hide in the kitchen, Luke had come through so early she hadn't seen him. She felt like she shouldn't be around to cloud the ship with a shadow of herself. She was feeling frazzled and emotional, Ben slept late, she had spent the night next to him. His heavy arm hanging over her middle, his legs tangled up in hers, his breath hot and wet on the back of her neck. She had untangled herself from him early on, leaving the heat of his body for hiding in the kitchen. She hadn't wanted to shut herself into _her_ room, since she hadn't slept there and it wasn't really her room.

Rey swiveled on the bar stool shoved near the corner of the room, she didn't know what to do with herself when she felt decently normal, when she had that cloud of darkness haunting her she could just stare off into nothing. Almost able to taste the taste of the cloud hovering around her. When it was gone her mind felt like slow. Less faded. In her mind she pictured the dark circles the cloud gave her, sucking her life right out of the air. How could the darkside ever give anyone power when it felt like a leech eating the soul.

Musing to herself, so deep in her personal thoughts of a large leech shaped black cloud attached to her back that she didn't even hear the door open. Luke came storming in, a sour mood hanging in the air. His voice barking out an order from the door is what broke her attention from herself. She almost felt selfish for thinking of herself.

"There's a bit of an issue. Get Ben up and get in the cockpit." His voice rough like sandpaper. Had he even gotten sleep last night? Rey's eyes dancing over his drawn and tired face. Looking as if he aged overnight. She hopped off of her perch and jogged out of the room hot on Luke's heels. He went straight to the cockpit while she made a turn into Ben's room. He was still laying on the bed, his hand sitting her where body had been the night before. He glanced over to the door when she came in, his eyes dark and empty looking, Ben sat up without so much a word. Following her out of the room and into the cockpit where the three of them were jammed up front. Bens tall form having to hunch his head so he didn't smash his head against the low top.

Ben's eyes meet Rey's in silent question, the bond fizzing from the closeness of the other. Rey's own questions were loud and clear without even a word. They both turned their attention to Luke, who just stared ahead, pretending he couldn't see their faces reflected in the glass in front of them.

"The ship passed through a meteorite shower that I wasn't aware was passing through. And received some damage to the outside, puncturing the fuel tank and damaging the cloaking shield that some rich snob installed so people couldn't rob them. Now we are detectable by whatever's left of the first order."

Luke was listing through problems that Rey wasn't sure they could even deal with. Not unless they landed, depending on where they are in the galaxy, they're either fucked or saved.

"Where are we?" Rey was the one to ask, Luke made a sour expression that could either mean no where near a living soul or in one of the shadier systems.

"Near a black market outpost. Similar to the outpost Han had picked my ass up so many years ago." Rey's eyes shot over to Ben's, his face didn't change at the mention of his father. If he still hated him or if he still grieved him she'd never be able to tell. He even was holding his emotions close to his breast pocket. His deck of emotions were less like a game of poker and more like a game of Life and death. the backside being pasted with the darkside.

"We'll find the stuff we're looking for… but it won't be cheap or easy, we don't have a lot of money to work with and the gambling is set up to bankrupt you. Not line your pockets with gold."

If she hadn't been so busy staring at ben she would of realized that the ship had left hyperdrive awhile ago, the ship was lazing near the planet Rey assumed was the one that was a trading outpost. Black market outpost.

"We'll be sitting ducks in this thing. It practically has a neon sign above it saying 'scrap me'." Ben's voice quiet, not that he needed to speak much louder, his whole presence drew attention to him. People would fall over themselves to hear him speak, he commanded it by just the look on his face. Rey bit her lip, worrying over his sudden dark demeanor.

"We won't have an issue with that, we're going to sell this ship _for_ scrap, attempt to get enough money to get a new ship and continue on my mission."

"Yeah.. speaking of.. are we really doing this for a booty call or?" Ben's hand rested on the high back of the chair, Luke's face turned a shade of red that was either embarrassment or rage. Rey wasn't exactly sure why. It didn't seem to mean anything to her.

"What's a booty call?" Rey asked, looking between Luke and Ben, Luke's face got even redder as he clenched the hand controls of ship so tightly his knuckles turned white. Ben huffed out a soft chuckle before it turned into a full blown laugh. Rey hasn't heard him laugh with such a sense of snark before. Luke's attempt at explaining was just a bunch of stammered words that ended with him huffing. Turning to bark at Ben whose still half bent over the console next to them, holding his ribs tightly, and his face a shade of red.

"You don't know what a booty call is? Oh my sweet Rey." Ben said, choking out the words before laughing again, his laugh dying out as he reached out to touch her check. Her eyes wide with confusion.

"It's a term for when someone contacts or gets back in contact with a person just for sex. Oh Rey please stay innocent forever." she took a deep breath, not meaning to hold it as her face turned a dark red that had some purple mixed in. Ben started chuckling again watching her embarrassment get written all over her face. Ben rubbed at his eye, his face still a light red from all the laughing.

Rey looking close to getting sick right then and there. "I really hope we're not helping you find my mother. To have sex." Rey's voice sounding rough, she finally left out that puff of air she was holding for so long.

"My sex life is none of y'all twos concern!" Luke yelled, he turned around in his chair, his face a shade of red that shouldn't be possible. "I won't discuss that anymore with y'all!" Ben lost it again, leaning heavily on Rey as he starting laughing again. Nothing was funner than embarrassing someone.

"Okay.. okay I'm done with this I promise." Ben said, holding his hand up, open palm out as he wiped away a legitimate tear leaving his eye. Rey watched Ben's reaction, Luke grumbled to himself about immature children and how they should act better. He wasn't their babysitter and they needed to be the adults they were. Ben still had a soft smile on his face, occasionally catching Luke's eye and winking. Luke's face was drawn in a frown, showing that Ben was getting under his skin,

"Get out of here, go get your shit!" Ben stuck his tongue out at Luke before turning around and leaving the cockpit, Rey followed on his heels. Feeling like a lost puppy, but her personal belongings was a single backpack in the other room.

"Do you really think we're on a 'booty call'?" she asked, doing air quotes around that word, she pronounced it so oddly, like it was a foreign language she hasn't learned yet. She stood in the frame of Ben's door, blocking the sliding door from closing. Ben looked up from his stuff on his bed with a bewildered look.

"Do you honestly think that? It's called a joke sweetie." Rey huffed up, the condescending tone he took ruffled her feathers. She turned on her heel and stomped out of the room; she knew she was acting like a child, but he didn't get to talk to her like that. Ben watched her back go down the hall and into another room, the sliding door shutting with a thump, and he went to sit at the large table next to the viewing window. Waiting for Luke to set the ship down so they could sell this overly padded ship and get something faster. Get this trip over sooner than later; but he wasn't sure how long it'd take them to get the rest of the money it'd take them to get a new ship. Three force sensitives could cheat in chance games very easily; but it's easy to get caught and killed at black market games.

People tended to get crossed more easily, quicker to anger, quick to fight. Ben noted he'd have to keep an eye on Rey too, he pulled out his personal hooded cloak, the one he wore with his Kylo Ren get up. She's small and pretty and someone would take a chance to steal her away and sell her on the slave market. Pretty thing like her would fetch for a lot of money on an ugly planet. Rey joined him at the table, she dropped her bag on the table, and slumped heavily into the chair next to him. She held her face in her hand, staring at him blankly. Her mind a million miles away from where they were sitting at this table, slowing descending into the port city below them.

"Hey Rey." she didn't respond, so he snapped his fingers in front of her face. It jolted her back to the time in front of them.

"Huh? Is it time to leave?" She asked, looking around, out the window in front of them. They hand;t landed yet, but they were getting close. The ship auto darkened the windows as the ship went into automated landing procedure.

"Almost. I want you to have this cloak. Wear it with the hood up. It'll be long on you, but i can cut that off right before we depart the ship." Ben held the long black cloak out in front of her, she gently held it, looking at it with surprised eyes. It was heavy and warm looking without being too heavy or too bulky. It was designed for Kylo Ren, but he was just a character Ben played to survive the dark side. He thought about leaving him in the past, but he wasn't always so bad; just as being Ben wasn't the worst as it once had been, but now that name also didn't fit who he had become in the last couple of months. Rey's eyes had a shiny look to them, Ben leaned forward, worry written all over his face.

"What's wrong Rey?" she clutched it tighter in her hands, and bowed her head.

"I can have this? Forever?" his worry was quickly replaced with surprise and confusion. Not sure what that had to do with her reaction to holding it. He was worried she had some kind of force vision.

"Yes? I don't have any emotional attachment to it, and i feel like it'd fit you better anyway." she quickly looked up into his eyes, a smile on her face. He was sure his confusion was plastered all over his face, he had never been good at hiding his emotions.

"I've never been given a gift. Just people pushing things into my hands, saying change into this, or this is something you'll need. But never a 'Rey i want you to have this.' and this belonged to you. So it's something of yours your giving me." her voice was soft, he had to lean forward to hear her, her smile was one of bittersweet emotions. Happy to be given something, sad to have never received before. Ben couldn't resist, he put his hand on her leg, she brought her eyes up to his. He had a soft frown on his face.

"What did that planet do to you? What kind of loneliness did you live with?" Ben asked, not much above a whisper; Rey leaned forward from her seat, their faces inches from each others.

"The same kind you lived with."

The moment was broken, when a throat cleared off behind them, making them jump backwards in their seats. Ben coughed into his hand, trying to hide the embarrassment on his face. Rey had a horrified look on her face, looking down at the cloak again before standing and swinging it around her shoulders. The cloak hung all the way down to the ground, dragging behind her a good five or six inches behind her. Luke watched as Ben knelt down to the ground, grabbed a handful of the dragging cloak; pulled out a knife and started sawing at the fabric. The serrated edges on the knife's back edge was enough to easily cut through the fabric. It left it a jagged line but it was no longer dragging behind poor Rey. All it'd take is for one person to step on it and cause her to trip.

Ben stood up, sliding the knife back into its hiding place behind his back; his bag hanging from his shoulder. Rey followed suit, picking up her bag and holding it in her hands. They both stared at Luke waiting for the reason he had cleared his throat and startled them.

"I've made a deal with the owner of this glorified parking lot to trade our ship for 3/4ths of the worth of another ship he owns. It's all in working order, much faster and has a protective shield around it as well. So we'll be staying off of others tracking radars." Luke stared at them dully, like they were children getting caught doing something they shouldn't be doing.

"Well, how do we get the rest of the money for the other 4th of this new ship?" Rey asked from deep within the cloak hiding all of her from view.

"We play some games, well enough to win but not get caught of course." Luke said, a large grin cracking across his face. He swept his hand out widely towards the door that'd lead them out to the 'glorified parking lot' and towards the black market casino.

"And… if we get caught?" her concern was evident in the pitch of her voice, which had gone up an octave or two.

"We cut our way out and steal the ship of course." was Ben's response, shrugging as he walked around Rey and past where Luke was standing. Luke's grin dropped to a sour expression.

"We don't just kill whoever gets in our way _Ben_." the pressure on his name. "Plus, the parking lot owner wants us to give the casino owner a run for his money, clear him out, ruin his name. Some kind of rivalry." Luke continued with a shrug, following after Ben, Rey coming up hot on his heels. Not wanting to get left behind.

"Oh, yeah, ya know. All the easy things to do in life. _Without_ getting caught. Oh silly me." throwing his hands up in the most exaggerated shrug Rey's ever seen someone do. Ben sure does have a snarky attitude, Rey noted to herself, as they walked away from the ship and through narrow streets. Full of people, from all kinds of different planets. Wearing all kinds of their native clothing. The temperature in the air wasn't too hot, or too cold, it almost felt regulated to Rey.

Her nerves were on edge as they were half shoving their way through the crowds. Rey struggling to keep up with Ben and Luke, the bond was buzzing in her ears. As the sea of people got tighter, she could only see Ben's black hair poking out above everyone else's. Someone grabbed her wrist as she had turned sideways to squeeze between two people in front of her. She swung her head around, ready to start swinging. Her heart beat jumping; but who she saw was a small child. She was young, brown dirty hair, dirt on her face; large bright blue eyes that almost glowed. Rey stopped and turned to face the child holding her hand.

"Yes little one? How can i help you?" Rey knelt down to look at the child's eye, she grinned a large smile just in time for a large dirty man's hands to grab Rey by the shoulders. He had claws for fingernails, Rey twisted her wrist away from the child who took off running. The grip on her shoulders tightened until his nails were digging into her skin through the cloak and her clothes. She could feel Ben's panic through the bond, could feel him running towards her, shoving people out of the way. His tall form rushing towards people making them move pretty quickly. Before Rey had even gotten to her feet, he had reached them.

Ben force shoved the man holding onto Rey's shoulder so hard, the man was so shocked that he dug his nails in as strong as he could, the sharp claws piercing deeply into her skin between her shoulder and collarbone. The pain made dark spots appear in her vision. As he was shoved away one of his claws tore through, leaving a line deep cut along her collarbone. Another one of the claws just snap right off, left embedded in her flesh. His claws had torn the fabric from shoulder to shoulder, the cloak and her shirt torn, leaving a large hanging tattered window to show off the blood running down her front.

Rey cursed loudly, shoving her hands against the large gash and the puncture wound. She knelt heavily on her left knee, Ben was busy throwing punches with the guy who put his hands on her. The crowd was forming around them in response to the noise, Luke came shoving through the crowd, seeing Rey kneeling on the ground with blood dripping between her fingers.

He rushed past Rey, grabbing Ben by the back of his shirt as, Ben was too busy smashing his fist into that man's face over and over to care. Rey glanced at her hands, around all the blood coming from her chest there were sores forming on her knuckles as she watched Luke yanking Ben off of the man. His punches landing with a wet smack; his back muscles showing through his shirt with every draw back before the next swing. Luke finally managed to drag Ben's form off of the downed man, once he was pulled off of him. She could see his smashed up bloody face, she couldn't tell what kind of man he was before his face was destroyed. Ben gave him a swift kick to the stomach, he grumbled from the contact. He was still alive; he wouldn't of been if Luke hadn't dragged Ben off of him. Rey noted, Ben's hair clung to his face from blood splattering and from sweat. The front of his shirt was turning a darker damp look as the blood flowing from his mirrored wounds.

Ben rushed over to where Rey knelt, blood dripping on the ground as he knelt in front of her, he touched her face, his full of concern.

"Do you need help standing?" she shook her head, she wasn't totally useless, she had almost killed him in the forest before their bond clicked into place. Rey pushed up off the ground, the struggle to get her legs under her to hold her up was a lot harder than anticipated. He held her elbow and helped her to her feet; the crowd starting to lose interest now that he wasn't pummeling the shit out of the other guy. Ben helped glide Rey in the direction they were originally going, people standing out of the way as they passed. She still held the chunk of clothing that had been torn almost completely off to her chest, at one point she dropped her arm. Rey's arms were starting to feel like jelly but there was so much blood she didn't have to hold the shirt up anymore, the blood was keeping it stuck to her skin.

They went straight past where the underground casino was, a couple of blocks past it and up the stairs of this rough looking building. Rey was just blindly following behind Luke, mostly in her head as her thoughts were starting to get fuzzy. The bleeding still wasn't stopping, it was slowing, bubbling up and out of the cuts across her chest. She vaguely felt Ben's hand still steady underneath her elbow as he continued to pull her in the right direction. She was starting to feel like a ragdoll being dragged behind on a set of wheels that caught every crack in the stone under her feet. Her feet were starting to drag as Ben slowly helped her up those steps Luke had just climbed. It wasn't many, only a handful, but with almost her whole front being soaked through with her own blood she was beginning to slow.

With Ben's help she made it to the top of the stairs where Luke was holding the door open for the two of them, they walked in before him. They were inside some kind of inn from the looks of the meeting room, there were large tables where men were gathered around playing card games with money laying on the table. Another table a group of men were playing dice, at their bloody entrance the room quieted and the trio were greeted with dirty looks and disdain. The employee comes sliding into the room, a teenager, younger than both Rey and Ben, his face full of surprise.

"Your dripping blood on my floor." he pointed to Rey's feet, blood was indeed dripping on the wood floor.

"Damn son, i'll mop it myself if we can get set up with a room so i can stitch her up and then myself." Ben's voice had that tone of command to be followed, his time as Kylo Ren clear in the way he spoke. Even with his long shaggy hair and blood dripping down the front of his shirt, no one would tell him no. Lukes eyebrow popped up in a curious interest to his commander voice. The teenager shut his mouth and nodded, handing Ben a key to a room as he guided Rey up the stairs. Luke hung behind to pay for the room and whatever medical supplies he could get his hands on.

"I'll bring up a med kit for you guys, try to not get blood on the sheets, it's expensive to clean out." the teenager pleaded with Luke, he had soft brown eyes and a mole on his cheek.

"If we get blood on anything, i'll pay for it out of pocket. Don't worry son." Luke followed the pair upstairs, even not knowing the room number he just followed the blood drips on the floor. The silence in the downstairs area broke as conversation and yelling picked back up. They were outsiders even to this place and everyone knew it. The upstairs was mostly empty, it seems they didn't have many guests, those men downstairs must be locals that enjoy a place to hangout, drink and play cards.

Ben was struggling to pull the blood soaked shirt off of Rey without hurting her, the cloak sat in a wet heap on the floor, Rey staring at it with a dull look in her eyes. Rey flinched as Ben pulled her arm out of the last part of the floor, tossing that onto the floor as well. She had lost a surprising amount of blood in the time it took them to get to the inn. Her crop undershirt was drenched in blood, but Ben didn't even entertain the idea of taking that off of her. That'd be passing through too many lines.

"The boy is bringing a med kit up in a few minutes. Try and clean it the best you can while you wait for him. I'm going to be hitting the casino to try and make some money tonight. I'll be less obvious by myself as well." Luke gave them a quick glance over, looking at the clothes on the floor again before looking at the large wounds on Rey. that man's claws had done so much more damage than he would of thought possible.

"Take care of Rey, i'll leave some money with you so you can go to the market and buy her some new clothes. Those should be burned." He left, closing the door behind him. Rey barely noticed him leave, or barely cared. She stood there numbly, her arms hanging limply at her sides. Ben pulled up the stool in the corner of the room and placed it in front of her, he quickly ran out of the room down to the washrooms at the end of the hall. As he was coming back he saw the teenager coming up the stairs with a box in his hands. Ben waved him over and walked into the room. Rey hadn't moved from the spot he left her. He couldn't hardly feel her mind in the bond. Her thoughts fluttering like a hundred butterflies. Not a single solid thought, but a bunch of vague loose ones.

"Put the box on the stool, thanks kid." He said, as he made Rey sit down on the edge of the bed, he knelt in front of her as he took the water damp towel to her injuries. His stinging lightly from the contact, Ben had done his best to ignore his pain during the short walk over to where they were. But as he was dabbing at the injury the pain in his wound was starting to flair. Or maybe he was feeling Rey's pain through his own skin. The bond still confused and filled him with wonder at the kind of connection they have. The young man was hanging at the door frame, staring at the gash across her chest. A deep puncture above her collarbone on the each side above the gash. Ben dug through the box and pulled out a needle and thread. He peaked over his shoulder and saw the kid still standing there.

"Hey kid, hand my that candle will ya?" the room had over head lights, but the candles were for either decoration or for when they overhead lights were turned off.

He nodded and brought the candle over, Ben heated up the needle over the flame to sterilize it. The large gash across her upper chest would hurt a lot and scar. The box also contained kind of metal thread. This med kit looked like it was stocked with things older than Ben, but knowing where they were he's lucky they had anything.

"Don't you have an inn to watch?" Ben's voice startling the teenager, jumping in his spot. Ben stared at him with a bored face, the kid rubbed at the back of his neck.

"My dad came home and told me to help you if you needed anything." the kid shrugged, before coming up behind Ben, looking more intently at the wound.

"Looks like you guys pissed off the wrong Ascould. They're claws can be like 4 inches long." he had a look of horrified interest at the deepness.

"What's your name kid?" the kid puffed up his chest.

"Ardath." he tilted his head to the side, he opened his mouth to say something mean, but he really had no reason to. The kid seems to have been helpful.

"Well...Ardath. Please leave so i can fix her up. That'd be great, you've been a lot of help, but please get outta here." Ben turned back to Rey, he had threaded the needle and was starting the first stitch. She flinched and brought her attention back from her fantasy world. Ardath walked towards the door, closing it behind himself softly and heading down the stairs. He heard an audible gasp from behind the door.

Rey's hand shot out, gripping onto Ben's own injured shoulder tightly. Both of them cursed loudly as they both felt the pain from her fingers accidently digging into the same open wound on his body. The gash not taking up his shoulder to shoulder on his chest like it had on hers.

"Where has your mind been?" He asked, swallowing the lump of pain in his throat, sliding the needle through, stitching together the two sides of the gaping cut.

"I've been thinking of a forest full of plump sweet pink fruit." the corners of his lips tugged up to a stiff smile.

"Fruit huh? Why fruit?" he asked, as he made another stitch, the gash starting to squeeze shut. The red angry flesh making a tightly pressed mouth.

"I love fruit. I didn't have any fruit when i was on Jakku. The desert doesn't support fruit very well." she said, looking down at the top of his head, her hand reached up and twirled a lock of his black curls. The hair was soft and shiny, the sudden movement surprised Ben, his hand stopping before making another stitch.

"Well… i'll get you all the fruit you can eat. You deserve it." she sat up a little straighter. Between the two of them the pain has turned into a dull ache. The stitches no longer stinging quite like it had in the beginning. The bond was odd, it heightened somethings while dulling others. Ben was overly aware of Rey's fingers twisting pieces of his hair between her slim fingers, the tips of her nails lightly glancing the skin of his neck as she reached for a different piece. They had fallen into a comfortable silence as he continued stitching, the long gash across her chest being about 12 inches across. It wasn't a clean straight across cut, it was jagged and rough. The edges looking like teeth being sewn together.

"We're a collection of scars." Rey said, touching the finely stitched together gash, the metal wire cold to the touch while the skin around it was hot. Ben had put the needle down, before pulling a set of tweezers out of the crate. Rey watched with a sour expression, he was about to pull out the broken nail. The long jagged thing was left in her skin, Everytime she moved her arms she could feel it lodged in there.

He walked over to her, he eyes on hers as he gently touched her face. The other other hand held the tweezers as he dug them into the wound. She hissed, tears coming to her eyes as he dug for the edge of the claw. It stung and bled, burning from the trama. He squeezed the side of her face gently, comforting, as he yanked with as much might as he could to pull it out. The claw came out as Rey released a heavy breath. Ben's face was tight, he could feel it too, the pain was in his chest too. He held her face for a moment longer before dropping his hand.

He turned to prepare for his own stitches, he cut some fresh wire, and took his shirt off. Rey watched as he put the crate on the floor and heated the needle over the small candle. So he could begin stitching himself up. Rey got up and took the needle from his hand, threading it without a word as he intently stared at her. The gash he had wasn't all the way across, but still just as long as hers. Rey's hand lightly touched the skin around the gash, before she started to stitch it. The first stitch they both gave a collective sharp inhale. The sting strong enough to prickle at her skin.

She braced with her hand on his chest as she pulled the first stitch through the other side of the wound, pulling it tight enough the skin clung together. He had stitched her up in a standard side to side stitch, while Rey did an X stitch, going forward one direction and then going over with the direction to make the X. It was a sturdier stitch, but took twice as long. She did it in smaller bursts too, going about three inches at a time, before backtracking. She'd cut the thread and start again. By the time she was doing with her X stitching the seam of his cut was thinner than hers, neater and tighter looking. He looked at it was mild curiosity, a style of field stitching he's never seen before. He felt bad seeing as hers looked much looser and not as secure now.

"Let me go back and do that for yours, a second on top of it going the other direction. Im worried it's too loose now." Ben said, after she cut the thread and dropped the leftover thread back into the crate. The needle she placed on the dresser in the corner of the room. Rey softly padded over to where he sat on the stool, him sitting made them the same height compared to her standing height.

"You did a good job. It was a lot to stitch, and even if its loose and makes a wider scar i wouldn't care." she gently placed her hand against the side his neck, careful to not be anywhere near the wound they shared. Her nails lightly touching the soft skin behind his ear, the contact sent a shiver up through his spine. Rey leaned forward just enough to kiss his forehead. Then she turned on her heel and walked out the door and down the hall to the washrooms where they had showers set up. Ben could feel the heat already on his skin; the gentle patter of water against the top of his head. Making him realize just how much blood was on his skin, he followed down to the separate door and took a shower for himself.

A small sharp smile as he turned his water to cold, just enough to sting from coldness, he felt Rey turn the heat up higher on her side to counteract the sudden cold she felt. Ben grinned to himself. The bond they shared made things interesting. The next day would be tiring and being on alert, he didn't want to spend too much time awake. The adventure of today weighted heavy on him as he dragged his freshly cleaned self out of the showers and back to his room. Where he crawled into one of the two beds and Rey not too far behind on his heels, she crawled into the bed next to him. They stared at each other from their own bed, Rey watched as his eyes drifted close. Soft snores coming from his side of the room, sleep was harder for Rey to claim. Sitting just out of reach, her eyes heavy, her body sore and tired, but sleep seemed to be hovering just on the other side of the room from her. Waiting for her to finally climb out of bed and slide in next to the man laying opposite of her. His face peaceful as he slept; and Rey didn't want to wake him. She rolled over to face the other direction and drifted into a fitful sleep.

Waking the next day was hard for Rey, all the pain she had been ignoring was suddenly rushing back over her limbs. Her chest burned from the wounds, the stitches stung at every stitch. The puncture burned a different kind of pain, every movement of her arms sent pain radiating through her upper body. Ben's bed next to her was empty, the sheets and blankets tucked back meticulously back into place, the pillows were arranged perfectly. If she hadn't seen his form snoring softly in that bed, she'd think he'd never have slept in it at all in the first place. She sat up, the struggle making her take a deep breath, the pain bringing her mind back to her body. Her fingers ached dully as she reached up to move loose hairs out of her mouth. The movement making her flinch, she dropped her arms; they thumped onto the bed lightly.

Rey turned her head towards the small table in the room, which was shoved into the corner; she expected to see Ben sitting there. His black curly hair and his broad shoulders, but who she actually saw was Luke, sitting at the table sipping from a mug. The steam coming from the cup making swirls in the air. Luke glanced up from the paper he was reading, a smile spread across his face as Rey struggled to climb out of bed. Her feet dragged behind her as she walked over to the table. Her hair a curly mess from going to sleep with a wet head, the hairs stuck out at odd angles and clung to her face. Sitting down with a heavy thump almost hurt as much as just easing into the chair. The force of the chair back hitting her back made her upper body clenched in pain. A soft gasp come out of her mouth as Luke stared at her. He took another sip of his hot drink.

"Sleeping beauty is finally awake." Luke said, a smile on his face and a glint in his eye. Rey dully stared at him before painfully reaching and taking his cup out of his hand. Bringing it to her mouth and taking a deep drink. The heat burned the top of her mouth but the warm liquid burned its way through her body. Pooling in her empty stomach, the pain was a comfort compared to the rest of her pain. The steam was warming her face as she just held the cup close to her face. The movement of putting it back down would be more painful than just stiffly holding the mug in her fist. Luke had a bemused expression on his face, his eyes flitting over her face, hair and the wounds that were exposed on her chest. The small amount of blood that had leaked out in her sleep had crusted around the edges of the wounds.

Her cropped undershirt was still heavily stained with blood and water, since she didn't take it off when she showered the night before. The effort to do so hurt more than she cared to remove it. The shower had removed some blood, that had stained it, had freshened the cloth up a bit. Rey felt dirty and was considering another shower, but that'd involve taking another shower with the undershirt. Unless she could convince a female employee to help her take it off for her. Or Ben. Her mind filled in, she blushed heavily into the mug still in front of her face, glad that Luke couldn't get a close look at her face in that moment. Luke was looking at his paper again, but glancing up at Rey every few seconds, her face still angled towards her mug, she took another large drink as she imagined Ben standing behind her, slipping his fingers under the edge of her undershirt, and gently helping her pull it off. Ben taking a wet washcloth and rubbing down her sore back as hot water soaked her hair. Rey blushed even redder and shook her head to get the thought out of her head.

She looked up in time to see Luke glance down at his paper again, he'd been watching her and she suddenly felt very self aware of her dark red face and the now empty cup. Rey's mouth felt dry as she put the cup on the table. The liquid warming her insides, her face and shoulders a flushed red color. Rey glanced at the paper Luke now held up in front of his face, blocking the others view of the other. The title on the front page had a large picture of the underground casino, the headline read: Casino owner offering reward for man who beat the house too well two nights ago. With a small picture of a fuzzy image of Luke in the corner of the main picture. The best angle they had was of the left hand upper side of his forehead. So nothing useful at all for trying to find someone; for the first time she sat down she noticed that Luke had gotten a haircut and had cleaned himself up.

Looking less like the old island hermit and more like a man who was important. He looked like the Jedi she had grown up hearing stories about. She pulled the paper down on the to the table, his bright blue eyes looked at her with concern.

"How long was i asleep?" Rey asked, pointing at the headline, Luke shrugged softly.

"Well, two nights, but you knew that." Luke pointed to a bag sitting on the table, it was a light grey bag, that had some strange transparent paper sticking outta the top. Rey reached over for it and started pulling stuff out of the bag. The first item being a new clean simple shirt, similar to her training shirt. She glanced up at Luke confused.

"Ben went out and got you all new clothes, since he burned the rampents of the cloak he gave you and the remains of that bloody torn shirt." Luke said picking the paper back up.

"He'll be back soon from shaking the casino down again in a few minutes. We clean up and clear out for awhile. I'll be heading back in a few now that i changed my appearance again. They were busy looking for an old dirty man they didn't even notice Ben coming in with his curly black hair until he turned and headed out the door with over half the money they kept on premise."

Rey pulled more things out of the bag, a new undershirt, new jacket, new pants, even new shoes. And at the very bottom of the bag, her hand touched something thick and coarse. Her hands shaking as she pulled out a new cloak. Just as black as the one he had given her the first time; but this one this time had been cut to length with proper tools. The end hemmed up so it wouldn't tatter. The hood deep and thick, Luke pretended not to notice her reaction as she held the cloak in her hands. She dropped the bag on the floor with all the other clothes half haphazardly shoved back into the bag. Her eyes watered as she ran a finger over the stitching on the inside edge of the cloak. There was a pocket sewn into the inside, big enough for a lightsaber if she wanted to put it there. It had been an after add, something Ben had asked them to put in. The rest of the inside had a soft fur like fabric on the inside, and the neck had a wrap over clasp. Meaning she could cover the lower part of her face with the cloak, she wouldn't have to carry an extra face wrapping around when one was built in. Rey swallowed a lump in her throat, this was even nicer than the cloak he had given her, this one was designed from a colder place than where they were; he wanted her to be prepared for the next adventure they went on.

Rey's stomach growling brought her out of her mind, away from the cloak. Luke looked up at her from his paper, he'd been reading the same page for awhile now, she didn't mind that he was watching her. He looked down at her stomach as she meckly held the cloak tightly to her chest.

"I'll head down, order some food, and tell Ben you're awake. He should of been on the way back once he felt you were up through the bond." Luke said, lightly touching his chin as he rose from his chair. He headed out of the room as she gently placed the cloak on the table. Spreading it out to get a better look at the full length, it was long, the bottom edge of the cloak had that same soft fur lining the bottom. It looked like the nicest thing she's ever and probably will ever own.

She pulled the other clothes out of the bag, and pulled out the clothes that she also brought with her, she had enough under clothes to last, but the crop undershirt he'd gotten for her was also nice than any other one she's owned before. Made out of nicer fabric and wasn't too small for her compared to her other undershirts. The clothes the rebels had given her were also nowhere as nice as the ones Ben had picked out for her. The capris the rebels had given her weren't her favorite cut, they hung too loose around the calf and too tight on the thigh.

As she was standing there admiring the clothes, gently touching them and folding everything up neatly to fit it into her bag, the door opened. Ben came in holding a tray of food with a chipped tea cup with steaming liquid and a plate full of fresh cooked meats, soft cheeses and fresh fruit. Rey quickly glanced back down at the table, folding up the rest of the clothes as quickly as she could and dumped the remainder on the bed before moving the paper Luke left behind. She cleared off the table as best she could so Ben could put the heavy looking, over flowing tray down on the table. He set the tray down, and started putting the plates on the table in front of where Rey sat, the large colorful fruit is what caught her attention. He had meant it when he said he'd get her the best looking fruit he could find.

As Rey quickly snatched one of the fruit from the plate, she looked up with a large smile on her face. To thank him for finding her fruit since she suspected this inn wasn't known for its breakfast lay out. Her words dyed on her lips as she saw Ben's hair. He had cut most of it off, the thick dark shoulder length curls she'd grown to enjoy, was half gone. What was left was a much shorter curly hair style, it poked out around his ears, pushed back from his forehead and showed his widow's peak. The curls were tighter, curling sharper and back away from his face. Rey's mouth hung open limply as she took in his hair, he sat down next to her in the seat Luke had left. Ben didn't say much of anything as he picked up a fruit for himself and put some of the soft cheese on his plate. He had a smirk on his face as he looked over at her; Rey still hadn't found her words as she bit into the fruit.

The fruit in her hand was a bright pink and purple swirled colors, the bottom half of the fruit had spikes on it as the top half was smooth tender skin. The fruit resisted a small amount as she bit into it, the sweet juice popping as she applied more pressure to it. The fruit was soft and tender. She drank a mouthful of sweet juice from the fruit as Ben took a piece of meat, coating it in the cheese and bringing it to his mouth. She had a clear view of the way the back of his hair curled around on itself. Rey swallowed her mouthful, setting the dripping fruit on the table.

"I like your new haircut." she said softly, leaning to the side to try and get a better view of the cut on the back.

"Are you sure you do? Your expression didn't seem to be one of enjoyment." He had a joking expression, but his words had a bite to them. It must of hurt his feelings just a little at the surprised gapping she'd done at his hair.

"No i like it. I was just surprised." Rey said, reaching out to touch it, she flinched ever so slightly at the extending of her arm but continued to reach for his hair. She twirled one of the fatter curls around her finger. It was just as soft as it had been before, Ben had a dull expression on his face.

"I've only ever seen it long. I also didn't realize how heavy the hair was to straighten out half the curls. Now that it's shorter the curls are just everywhere." she said, forgetting about the food in front of them, he pulled her hand away from his hair. A small grin on his face.

"Well good. Cause i cut it myself and was worried it looked bad." she liked the fact the hair was curling away from his face, it allowed for her to get a better look at him. She smiled back at him, picking up the fruit again and taking another deep bite. It squished into her mouth as the pressure of her bite; she hummed happily to herself. They ate in silence for a long time. Ben finishing way before Rey, who kept piling all the food she possibly could onto her plate. Ben sat back and watched her eat, a smile gracing his lips, as Rey stuffed herself with food. Once the plates were all practically licked clean, and Rey was rubbing her belly with a contented smile on her face did Ben finally speak again.

"Do you like the clothes i picked for you? I wasn't sure your size so i just guessed." Rey let out a large burp, covering her face in embarrassment. Earning a pleased chuckle out of Ben.

"Yes, i do." she croaked out from behind her hands. "I'd like to shower again before putting them on.. But.." she looked over at the clothes on the bed, then down at herself, pulling on the edge of her undershirt gently. Her face turning red from real embarrassment. Ben leaned forward, uncrossing his arms.

"But? But what Rey?" he asked, his face showing every emotion that passed through his mind, the expression settling on a frown.

"I can't … pull my undershirt off on my own…" Rey stared away from him, her face blazing red, she squeezed her hands together in her lap. Her nails digging into her palms. Ben left out a breath of air, leaning back in his chair, relief one of the emotions on his face. Concern still being another.

"Rey, all you had to do was ask for some help. You're not alone, you don't have to struggle on your own anymore." Ben reached out, his hand closing around hers, he pulled them out of her lap and pulled her fingers open. The back of her hand sitting in his open palm, as his other hand laid on top of hers, palm on palm. She blinked at him slowly, a blush still on her face.

"After we relax for a few, let your food settle, i'll help you out. You don't need to be afraid to ask me to do anything for you. I would do anything." he said it so casually, he picked up the plates, stacked them on the tray and left the room. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Rey in the room by herself. The smell of food still lingered, creating a pleasant smell.

(thanks for reading everyone. Schools going to be starting again, and i have a huge class load this semester so writing might be slim. I mostly attempt to write fanfictions to get my terrible writing up to a higher skill. My learning disability makes it a slow progress. But i hope you all enjoy and will review for me.)


End file.
